Meghalaya Congress is ready to join the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government in the state; however, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Vincent H Pala said the party will maintain its distance from BJP.
Addressing media persons, Pala said his party would be very happy if it can convince the NPP to sever ties with the BJP.
“Minus the BJP, we are ready to support and work together (with the NPP in the state), there is no doubt about it,” Pala said.
The sudden proximity between Congress and NPP before Lok Sabha polls can let to be an alarm for BJP in the coming days.
The Congress had extended its support to the NPP for toppling the UDP-led EC in KHADC.
Pala said that the situation is totally different from the case of former CLP leader Ampareen Lyngdoh and four other former MLAs of the party, who were expelled for supporting the NPP-led MDA government ahead of the 2023 polls.
“The case relating to the five MLAs is totally different from the present case in the KHADC. We got the approval of the party before joining the Council (EC) but (the five former MLAs) have gone on their own (to support the MDA Govt),” he said.
He said, “In fact even at that point of time, we don’t have a problem of working with the NPP but because the BJP was there, we are clear that we cannot work with the BJP.”
When asked, Pala said that there is no BJP in the KHADC. According to him, the CEM has been elected from the NPP and the deputy CEM will be from the Congress in the KHADC. “So whatever decision we are taking it will be for the interest of the Council,” he said.
As far as the State is concerned, the MPCC chief said that his party will remain in the opposition bench and will continue to take up various issues confronting the state and its people.
He also maintained that had the BJP been there in the KHADC, the Congress would never be ready to lend support to the NPP and said, “We are very clear that we are ready to work with anybody except the BJP”.