Congress leadership crisis to be ironed out in CLP meeting

Shillong, Nov 9 (UNI) The leadership crisis in Meghalaya would be sorted out in the trial of strength in the Congress Legislature party meeting, AICC secretary in-charge Maj (Retd) Ved Prakash said here today.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had deputed Maj Prakash to meet the leaders of the two warring factions to sort out the leadership issue. Union Labour Minister Oscar Fernandez, in-charge of North East, would arrive here on November 11 to take stock of the overall political development.

''We will convene the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meet on November 11 to decide on the issue,'' Maj Prakash told mediapersons.

Tomorrow, the AICC leader said he would have a one-to-one interaction with the Congress Legislators and members of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council to find out the reasons of dissidence in the party.

The Congress Parliamentary party of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council would also be convened to settle all the pending issues, the AICC leader said.

''My main aim is to create a cohesive team and strengthen the party in the state,'' he informed.

The deputation of the AICC leaders assumed significance in the backdrop of next month's Rongjeng byelection in the NCP hometurf Garo Hills. The need of the hour for the state party is to work as a team to ensure the victory in the byelection, Maj Prakash said.

The dissidence in the Congress party resurfaced soon after Mr J D Rymbai took over the reins from Mr D D Lapang on June 15.

In fact, the schism started when senior Congress MLA K K Dkhar, a key figure in toppling the Lapang government, was not inducted in the Rymbai Ministry.

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