'Congress has lost sense and direction': Former Meghalaya minister Ampareen Lyngdoh quits party

Ampareen Lyngdoh questioned the sincerity of the so-called reflections by the party as the state is poised for the state polls in March 2023.

New Delhi, Dec 19: In a jolt to the Congress ahead of the Assembly polls in Meghalaya, senior leader Ampareen Lyngdoh quit the party on Monday saying "honest attempts at self-introspections have failed".

The East Shillong Assembly lawmaker also questioned the sincerity of the so-called reflections by the party as the state is poised for the state polls in March 2023.

For the most part of my life, I have been a strong supporter and foot soldier of the Indian National Congress. The party gave me the opportunity to serve the people of Meghalaya as a minister and as a representative of my East Shillong constituency. I am thankful for the party's support thus far," she said in her resignation letter.

"However, recent developments within the party have led me to believe that it has lost its sense of direction. There has been a pressing need for the party and its leadership to reflect on this. Sincere and honest attempts to lead such self-introspections, I believe, have failed," she said.

"The party has lost touch with the people of Meghalaya, and I no longer believe it is the best platform for me to serve them. It is with deep regret, therefore, that I am writing to tender my formal resignation from the party membership in the Indian National Congress, effective immediately," the letter further read.

Ampareen Lyngdoh will now be joining the National People's Party (NPP) in Shillong.

On Monday, 12 members from the recently-formed Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee also resigned citing that over 50 per cent of the PCC members are leaders who recently joined from Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

In the resignation letters, the disgruntled members highlighted that a strong opposition was needed to dismantle CM KCR's "dictatorial rule" in the state.

Elections are due in the northeastern states Meghalaya and Tripura next year.