Shillong, July 6: Four legislators of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) have decided to continue supporting the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government led by the National People’s Party (NPP), though their party’s Chairman, P. N. Syiem
They have also conveyed their decision to chief minister Conrad K Sangma during a meeting held here on Friday. They were also accompanied by PDF chief Ivanlumlang Marbaniang.
The NPP had asserted that the MDA would survive even with the support of 34 MLAs after PDF chairman, P.N. Syiem recently threatened that the party would withdraw support from the MDA government.
The PDF has four MLA, which include Hamletson Dohling, Banteidor Lyngdoh, Jason Mawlong and Gavin Miguel Mylliem in which two among them, Hamlet and Banteidor, are ministers in the MDA govenrment.
Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh told reporters that all the four MLAs and also the President of the party have decided to continue supporting the MDA government under Conrad’s leadership.
Maintaining that they have nothing against the present government, Lyngdoh said that all this while, lots of issues concerning the people of the state were taken up, adding that the government as well as partners has committed to fulfill the people’s aspirations.
On Syiem’s claim that the PDF would ask its MLAs to pull out of the MDA government, Lyngdoh however said, “the matter is an internal affair of the PDF and it has no connection with the issue of whether to withdraw support from the MDA. But to support or withdraw support, we have the responsibility as elected members to fulfill the aspirations of the people who have given us this mandate.â€
Syiem, who is the KHADC chief executive member, accused the National People’s Party (NPP) and United Democratic Party (UDP) of conspiring to topple the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) Executive Committee led by the PDF in the KHADC.
Earlier, Syiem had claimed that there was a verbal agreement with NPP that PDF would get two Cabinet berths, and the NPP MDCs would support the PDA coalition in KHADC for the reciprocal support extended by the PDF to the MDA government.
Lyngdoh also said that the PDF would call all party MDCs to discuss issues within the party in order to know what they want and what made some of them to rebel against the leader (Syiem). We are not saying that we are blaming anyone but we will definitely resolve all misunderstandings,†he added.