AICC leaders to attend CLP meet today

Shillong, June 15 : A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party, to be attended by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and AICC Secretray General Oscar Fernandes, would decide the fate of beleaguered Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang here this afternoon.

AICC President Sonia Gandhi has asked Mr Mukherjee, who is virtually the number two man in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, and Mr Fernandes to attend the special CLP meeting to be held at Hotel Pine Wood at 1600 hrs to ascertain whether Mr Lapang still enjoys the confidence of majority of partymen.

Mr Lapang yesterday evening flew to the national capital after he was summoned by the Congress high Command to discuss the 'political turmoil'. Soon after his arrival, the Chief Minister rushed to 10 Janpath and held meeting with Ms Gandhi, Mr Fernandes and others on the fluid Meghalaya politics.

Sources closes to the Congress here said the AICC President directed Mr Lapang to convene an emergency special CLP meeting to ensure there is no split in the party.

Earlier, Meghalaya Minister in-charge for Parliamentary Affairs J D Rymbai, who joined the group of 17 rebel Congress MLAs, on June 13 faxed a message to Ms Sonia Gandhi saying, ''he is ready to take over the mantle from Mr Lapang.'' At least 17 rebel Congress MLAs had asked the Congress High Command to replace Mr Lapang with Mr Rymbai while accusing the former of indulging in 'manipultaive politics'.

UNI