I will resign if Sonia Gandhi asks me to do so: Rymbai

Shillong, Mar 1 (UNI) The supporters of Chief Minister J D Rymbai today said the manner in which Mr Rymbai was asked to resign from the chief minister's post was ''notin accordance with normal procedure.'' AICC General Secretary in-charge North East Oscar Fernandes and Maj (Retd) Ved Prakash had asked Mr Rymbai to put in his paper three days ago. However, the Chief Minister said he would quit only after the Congress high command adhered to the party's procedure.

''I will abide by the party high command's directive only if Congress president Sonia Gandhi directs me to do so,'' Mr Rymbai told reporters here late last night.

Mr Rymbai, who held a closed door meeting with his eleven 'loyal' Congress legislators at his official residence, said he would meet Mrs Gandhi only if the latter invites him.

However, Mr Rymbai's predecessor D.D.Lapang, who is staking claim for the chief ministership, said the ball is in AICC's court to decide its next course of action against the defiant chief minister.

''We have submitted a detailed report to the AICC on the prevailing political scenario in the state,'' Mr Lapang told UNI here today, adding that ''it is now up to the AICC to decide its course of action.'' Yesterday, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Onward L Nongtdu said the Congress high command has taken strong exception to Mr Rymbai's refusal to quit the Chief Minister's office.

'' The party might even sack or expel him from the party for not complying with the party's directive,'' Mr Nongtdu stated.

UNI