Shillong, Sept 12: The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president, D.D. Lapang on Tuesday said that the party would question its sitting legislators if they proposed to meet BJP national chief Amit Shah, who is scheduled to visit the state on September 28.
“The party will enquire from them (sitting MLAs) and if their statement is contradicting to the party’s discipline, we will question them,” Lapang told reporters while reacting to a query whether it will be seen as anti-party activity if its MLAs are meeting Shah.
The BJP Meghalaya had earlier claimed that as many as seven sitting legislators including those from the ruling Congress will be meeting the BJP national chief during his visit to the state ahead of the Assembly elections to be held early next year.
“Even though lots of things have been said that many will go and meet Amit Shah, but the Congress will not be panic on that. We go slow and we talk less like the deep water that runs very slow and grinds very well,” he said.
On a statement made by former Health Minister and sitting Congress MLA from Pynthorumkhrah, A.L. Hek that he would consult his supporters before returning to the BJP, Lapang said that he tried to contact him but his phone was switch off.
Lapang however said that no MLA has reported to the party that he/she would be leaving the Congress to contest from another party.
“Even if that happens, we will not stand on their way. We will (rather) send them with blessings so that they will have a more comfortable place to grow and shine in their political career,” Lapang said.
“They say so many (sitting MLAs) will go to the BJP. We keep silent and we don’t comment, because it is not necessary to waste energy on that,” he stated.
However, the picture will be more clearer for the ruling Congress once the distribution of application forms for party ticket ends on September 15, as to who from among the sitting legislators would leave the party to seek re-election from other political parties.
He also refused to disclose the number of sitting legislators who have taken the application forms so far since the start of the process from August 31.
To a question how the Congress would treat the situation in case some MLAs did not take the forms, the MPCC chief said, “If they don’t take the forms it means that they don’t want to apply and there is no prevention from that. If somebody doesn’t want to contest anymore from the Congress, why should we beg or request to take the form.”
“Who applies and who did not apply it does not matter because the Congress will just go as usual as there is no dearth of candidates in the party,” the MPCC chief said.
