Meghalaya Congress to elect new leader today

Shillong, Jan 17 (UNI) Meghalaya Congress will elect its new Legislature Party leader today amid strong public criticism over the frequent change of leadership in the state.

Altogether 29 party MLAs, at a crucial meeting scheduled to be held at 1900 hrs, would decide the fate of Chief Minister J D Rymbai, his predecessor D D Lapang and former deputy chief minister Mukul M Sangma.

Senior AICC leader Major (retd) Ved Prakash, the party observer for the state, would be present in the meeting to settle the ''inner squabblings'' over the leadership issue.

Earlier, Ms Gandhi had sent her envoy Maj (retd) Prakash here to hammer out a compromise formula among the warring groups but it did not yield any result.

Meanwhile, leaders of the three warring factions were still busy wooing each other's supporters to garner the requisite number of legislators.

Mr Rymbai claimed the support of 15 MLAs with state's Assembly Speaker Martin M Danggo and former deputy Chief Minister Deborah C Marak.

''We have got the requisite number and we are well intact,'' minister in-charge Public Health Engineering Prestone Tynsong told UNI here.

Mr Tynsong informed that one of their loyalists, Nehlang Lyngdoh had joined the Lapang group.

Meanwhile, Lapang loyalists claimed that minister in-charge Food and Civil Supplies Shitlang Pale and Parliamentary Secretary Nehlang Lyngdoh had joined their group.

The factionalism within the party had started ever since Mr Rymbai assumed power replacing Mr Lapang last June.

Mr Lapang's supporters demanded the Congress President Sonia Gandhi to reinstate Mr Lapang as their CLP leader citing his ''capability'' to lead the party to general polls.

With Dr Sangma joining the fray as ''neutral contender'' for the post of chief ministership, Mr Lapang is set to face a set back to return to power, a political observer here said.

Dr Sangma had informed Ms Gandhi of his claim for chief ministership. ''Now since the MLAs want a change of leadership, Mr Rymbai should be replaced by a natural contender,'' Dr Sangma said.

UNI