AICC directs Rymbai to cancel CLP meet

Shillong, Aug 20 (UNI) In a late night political development in Meghalaya, AICC president Sonia Gandhi has directed state Chief Minister J Dringwell Rymbai to cancel the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meet, scheduled to be held tomorrow here.

Mr Rymbai admitted that he had received a communication from the party high command asking him to call-off the CLP meet to avoid further escalation of the situation with dissident Congress legislators wanting former Chief Minister D D Lapang to be re-instated as CLP leader in the state.

Mr Rymbai said the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance meeting, slated to be held tomorrow after the CLP meet in his official residence, have also been cancelled in view of the AICC direction.

The Chief Minister said he decided to convene the CLP meet to discuss about galvanising the party and maintaining unity among the party legislators in the wake of the dissidence.

Sources close to the AICC said Mr Rymbai would be asked to convene the CLP in a few days after sorting out the inner squabbling in the state Congress.

So far, AICC has summoned Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Onward L Nongtdu to give his views on the present turmoil in the state.

Meanwhile, State Governor M M Jacob flew to the national capital to give his views about the present political situation and the stability of the government.

At least 15 dissident Congress legislators proposed Mr Lapang's reinstatement, accusing his successor J D Rymbai as ''inefficient'' to lead the government ahead of the 2008 assembly elections.

Mr Lapang, who even led the rebel Congress MLAs to AICC headquarters, informed Mrs Gandhi on the need to change the present Chief Minister J D Rymbai claiming that the latter no more enjoyed the majority in the CLP.

In fact, the schism in the Congress erupted after Chief Minister J D Rymbai failed to induct senior Congress legislator K K Dkhar in the ministry.

Mr Dkhar, a key figure in 'toppling' the Lapang government in the mid-June this year, was promised a ministerial berth by Charles Pyngrope, Secretary of CLP and Prestone Tyngsong, now a cabinet minister in the Rymbai led ministry.

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