Leadership issue is still alive: Nongtdu

Shillong, Jan 28 (UNI) A day after state Chief Minister J D Rymbai claimed that the ''leadership issue'' was a ''closed chapter'', Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Onward L Nongtdu today maintained that the issue is still ''kicking alive''.

''How can he (Mr Rymbai) say that the issue is a closed chapter when the AICC is yet to count votes to elect the new Congress Legislature Party leader,'' Mr Nongtdu told UNI here today.

Mr Nongtdu's remarks assumed significance following Mr Rymbai's claims that the AICC had closed the ''leadership issue'' over the post of chief ministership.

A few weeks ago, altogether 29 Congress MLAs elected their new Congress Legislature Party leader through a secret ballot.

Mr Rymbai and his predecessor Mr Lapang contested for the post of chief ministership. The election was supervised by AICC Secretary in-charge Meghalaya Affairs Maj (retd) Ved Prakash.

The leadership issue would be sorted out only after the AICC chief Sonia Gandhi counted the votes and declared the name of the elected CLP leader, the MPCC chief reiterated.

However, AICC President Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel who held discussions with the warring leaders - Mr Rymbai and Mr Lapang had given clean chit to Mr Rymbai and even directed him to continue till the next general elections in the state.

UNI