Shillong, Jan 5: Newly appointed president of the Congress and MLA of Umsning constituency, Dr Celestine Lyngdoh took charge from outgoing president, D.D. Lapang on Friday.

Dr Lyngdoh was also felicitated by party leaders at a function organised at Congress Bhavan here including chief minister Mukul Sangma, Congress MP from Shillong, Vincent H. Pala and others.

In his speech, Dr Lyngdoh thanked the AICC as well as his predecessor, Lapang for his appointment as the party president.

He said that the fight of the Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls would be on the ideology of inclusiveness and the value of respect for each other’ cultures and groups and how to prosper together will never change in the Congress.

He also said that though good friends have left the party, better friends have come in, while expressing hope that by working together, there is no doubt that Congress would form the government again.

The chief minister who congratulated Dr Lyngdoh and outgoing president Lapang, termed the new team a “well-blended” one.

According to Mukul, the party would win not less than 38 seats.

He attacked the BJP for its alleged divisive agenda and questioned their campaign for change and making a new Meghalaya.

The chief minister said, the NDA government was to implement the agenda of the BJP and the BJP has been furthering the RSS’s agenda.

“Their slogan is Congress-mukt Bharat in order to get more MPs in Rajya Sabha to amend the Constitution to fulfil their agenda of ‘one nation, one religion’. But we are fortunate that we are still together because of the Constitution, which has all along bonded us. If we allow their agenda, our country will disintegrate,” Mukul said.
He also termed those who try to divide the people as “agents of the devil”.

Others who spoke include Pala, Lapang and other leaders in the presence of party workers and MLAs and MDCs.