Rymbai convenes consultative meet with Congress legislators

Shillong, July 23 (UNI) Meghalaya Chief Minister JD Rymbai has convened a consultative meeting tomorrow with Congress legislators to sort out inner squabbles in the party.

Mr Rymbai, who arrived here from New Delhi this evening after holding a meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi and AICC member in-charge Meghalaya Oscar Fernandes, said tonight that the consultative meet was necessitated to find out the reason of resentment among the legislators.

He also informed Ms Gandhi about the some partymen's move to dislodge him.

The schism in the party took shape after senior Congress legislator KK Dkhar was excluded from the Rymbai led ministry.

Last month, Mr Rymbai took over the helm of affairs from Mr D D Lapang after 17 Congress MLAs alleged the latter of indulging in 'manipulative politics'.

At least four Congress dissident legislators - K K Dkhar, Sayeedulah Nongrum, Tonsing N Marak and Zenith Manda Sangma are camping at New Delhi to meet Union Minister without Portfolio Oscar Fernandes to inform him on the current political situation in the state.

Brushing aside speculations that their presence at the national capital was to ''oust Mr Rymbai'', Mr Zenith Sangma said, ''We want to meet Mr Fernandes to inform him about the resentment of Congress MLAs in the state.'' Mr Sangma told UNI over the telephone that the Congress MLAs had expressed their deep resentment following the ''discriminatory attitude'' of the Congress ministers.

''We did not expect them (Congress ministers) to practice such discriminatory attitude towards us,'' he said, while pointing out the resentment among the Congress legislators.

UNI RRK TJP/PC SB RAI2332