Congress and NCP criticise secret ballot process

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Shillong, Jan 18 (UNI) Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma today alleged that the secret ballot to decide the state leadership in Meghalaya could be manipulated by the AICC in New Delhi.

''If Chief Minister J D Rymbai fails to retain power, he can always prove his majority in the House, as he is supported by other parties,'' Mr Sangma told reporters here.

He also said the opposition members have assured him to support Mr Rymbai if there is a need to prove his majority in the floor of the House.

Mr Sangma's statement assumed significance in the backdrop of several Congress leaders in the state, who last night criticised the election of the CLP leader through a secret ballot.

''The election of the new leader was unfair, as the declaration of the result will be decided at New Delhi,'' the NCP leader said, adding that there will be enough scope of 'manipulation'.

Last night, altogether 29 Congress MLAs voted through secret ballot to elect a new state leader as directed by following AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

The incumbent Chief Minister and his predecessor D D Lapang contested the election, while former Deputy Chief Minister Mukul M Sangma, who was also in the race for the post of chief ministership, later withdrew.

The election was held under the supervision of senior AICC leader Major (Retd) Ved Prakash.

Former state Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee president Salseng C Marak have also criticised the secret ballot process.

''This is a bad precedence and it has never happened in the checkered history of the Congress,'' Mr Marak told UNI here in the day.

Mr Marak said they should have announced the name of the new leader soon after the voting instead of leaving it for the Centre to decide.

Ahead of the CLP election, state Home Minister Robert Garnet Lyngdoh, who was responsible for the Lapang-led government's collapse last June, said '' The main factor responsible for the political crisis in the state is due to the vested interests of a few politicians in New Delhi.'' UNI

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