The Meghalaya Congress appears to be taking a firm stance against political “turncoats,” or those who have previously left the party and now seek to return. While Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Vincent H. Pala has not explicitly declared that the party is closing its doors to these individuals, his recent statements and actions suggest a clear reluctance to welcome them back.
Speaking to the media in Shillong, Pala shared that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has emphasized the need to avoid re-admitting those who have defected from the party. Instead, Gandhi has urged the party to focus on nurturing fresh talent and encouraging young, educated individuals who can be groomed as future leaders.
“We met Rahul Gandhi recently, and he clearly told us to avoid bringing back those who left the party and to focus on encouraging young minds, educated people, even if they are fresh, by sending them for training,” Pala said.
Reflecting this directive, the Meghalaya Congress has decided to identify and train 60-70 young individuals to prepare them for a future in politics. “We decided today in the meeting that we will pick up around 60-70 boys and send them for training to become politicians,” Pala added.
In a pointed remark, Pala also noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become stronger by absorbing former Congress members, but he suggested that this influx of “dirty Congress” might ultimately weaken the BJP. “Rahul Gandhi has even said, BJP was weak, they took Congress members and made themselves strong, and now they have taken even more Congress members, so all the dirty Congress has gone to the BJP, and now BJP will become weak,” Pala stated.