Shillong, Sept 6: The ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance will meet soon to discuss the resolution moved by the Congress seeking removal of Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh.
HSPDP leader and Cabinet minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar said on Monday the meeting is likely this week.
The autumn session of the Legislative Assembly will begin on September 10.
The opposition’s resolution signed by four Congress MLAs — Zenith Sangma, HM Shangpliang, George B Lyngdoh and Kimfa S Marbaniang — was submitted to the Commissioner & Secretary of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on September 2.
“Since the resolution is there, we should meet as MDA to discuss this matter and to be together as an alliance,” Tongkhar told reporters.
The HSPDP leader said the opposition has to prove majority on the floor of the House. Asserting that the speaker is highly competent, Tongkhar said, “He (Metbah) has been ensuring equal rights to everybody in the floor of the House…I personally don’t see that there is a requirement to change the Speaker at this point of time.”
“I don’t know on what basis our Congress friends felt the need to replace the Speaker, otherwise according to me I find that he is very much capable and a very good person,” he added.
In the resolution, the opposition said, “The House hereby expresses its want of confidence on the Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh and hereby resolves to remove him from the office of the Speaker of this August House as per provisions under Article 179 of the Constitution of India and Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.”
Meanwhile, UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said the Congress’s move “is an attempt to project who among them is the best leader amid the infighting in its camp”.
Elaborating on the infighting, Mawthoh pointed at MP Vincent Pala’s return to state politics.
“It is quite surprising… there is a big question mark as to why he has come back to state politics. The return of Pala could only mean that everything is not well within the Congress party and it is very obvious that a lot of infighting is going on,” Mawthoh said.
“There are three groups in the Congress camp, and with Pala’s return, there is a jostle to be in prominence and amongst them they are trying to project who among them is the best leader,” he added.
The UDP leader said the other reason for this move of the Congress to target the speaker is their failed attempt to get the UDP in their fold.
“Just because he is the president of the UDP and there were numerous attempts on the part of the Congress to dislodge the government which failed and for this reason they are targeting him,” he said.
Denouncing the opposition for its “petty politicking”, Mawthoh said, “There is no stopping them to pinpoint at the inadequacies and shortcomings of the Govt, but moving a resolution to ouster the Speaker who is also the President of the UDP without any justification is the height of desperation. I don’t see any justification or reason for the opposition to try and oust the speaker.”
