Congress to continue with regional parties: Lapang

Shillong, June 13 (UNI) Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang today said the Congress would continue to work with its regional allies despite opposition the Nationalist Congress Party extending support to the party-led Coalition Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.

The Congress has 29 MLAs in Meghalaya and is supported by four regional political parties -- United Democratic Party (8), Meghalaya Democratic Pary (4), Hills State People's Democratic Party (2) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (2) -- in a House of 60.

The NCP which is the main opposition party has nine MLAs, including two Independents .

'' The MDA government will remain in - tact and the NCP is only extending outside support'', Mr Lapang told UNI here.

Mr Lapang, whose fate now depends on AICC president Sonia Gandhi's decision, asserted that the Congress would complete its five-year term with the support of the regional parties.

Earlier in the day, Congress Working Committee member and Union Minister in charge for Statistic and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes called on Nationalist Congress Party leader Purno Agitok Sangma seeking his support to the coalition government.

Mr Fernandes was accompanied by Chief Minister D D Lapang, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Onwardly Nongtdu and AICC secretary in-charge Meghalaya Maj (Retd) Ved Prakash in their last ditch effort to ''ensure political stability'' in the present coalition.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker and NCP MP said he had extended his party's outside support to the Congress to prevent ''dissolution of the House'' in the wake of the leadership crisis in the Congress party.

Late last night, Mr Fernandes said the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Meghalaya would be decided by the Congress high command.

Mr Fernandes rushed here after 20 rebel Congress MLAs had urged Ms Gandhi on June 6 to replace Chief Minister D D Lapang with Meghalaya Minister for Parliamentary Affairs J D Rymbai.

Talking to reporters soon after the crucial CLP meeting at Hotel Pine Wood here, Mr Fernandes said all the 27 Congress legislators out of total 29 had unanimously decided to leave the change of leadership to the ''wisdom'' of Ms Gandhi.

Mr Fernandes said Ms Gandhi would decide the new leader of the CLP before the extended Meghalaya's Budget session scheduled to be held on June 16.

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