Prakash arrives in Meghalaya to sort out leadership issue

Shillong, Jan 17 (UNI) AICC leader Maj (retd) Ved Prakash arrived here today to settle the ''inner squabblings'' in the party over leadership in Meghalaya.

Maj Prakash will attend the crucial Congress Legislature Party meeting which will decide the fate of Chief Minister J D Rymbai, his predecessor D D Lapang and former Deputy Chief Minister Mukul M Sangma.

The special meeting scheduled to be held at Pine Wood Hotel here, will be attended by 29 Congress MLAs and Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Onward L Nongtdu.

Former Urban Affairs Minister Friday Lyngdoh, who is in Vellore, had informed AICC leader Oscar Fernandes of his inability to attend the CLP meet.

On January 8, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had directed Mr Rymbai to convene a meeting of party legislators to elect a new CLP leader.

Soon after his arrival, Congress legislators, including some ministers, held one-on-one meeting with Maj Prakash.

Mr D D Lapang who is staking claim for the Chief Minister's post met Mr Prakash. Mr Nongtdu briefed the AICC leader on the present political situation in the state.

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

Recently, AICC leaders have said that this would be the last CLP meet to discuss on the ''leadership issue'' in the state.

UNI