The Congress party in Meghalaya has suffered a major blow as its lone MLA, Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, has joined the ruling National People's Party (NPP). Lyngdoh was elected MLA from the Mylliem constituency on a Congress ticket.
Congress Party: A significant shift has occurred in Meghalaya's political landscape, with the Congress party being completely wiped out in the state. The party's last remaining MLA, Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, has also abandoned the Congress and merged with the ruling National People's Party (NPP). Consequently, the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly now has no representative from the Congress.
Ronnie Lyngdoh Breaks Ties with Congress, Joins NPP
Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, the MLA elected from the Mylliem constituency on a Congress ticket, submitted his merger letter to Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma on Tuesday. Later, Deputy Chief Minister of the state, Sniawbhalang Dhar, confirmed that Lyngdoh had formally joined the NPP. This decision has increased the number of NPP MLAs to 32, further strengthening the party's hold on power.
Congress Won 5 Seats in 2023, Now All MLAs Have Left
In the 2023 assembly elections, the Congress won 5 seats in Meghalaya. However, gradually all the MLAs left the party. Saleng A. Sangma, who was once a Congress MLA, won the Tura seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and became a Member of Parliament. After this, Congress was left with only 4 MLAs.
On August 19, 2024, three MLAs — Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning), Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin), and Charles Marngar (Mawhati) joined the NPP. The collective departure of all these MLAs from the party did not fall under the purview of the anti-defection law because they merged with a two-thirds majority of the party. As a result, the Speaker of the Assembly constitutionally recognized this merger.
Congress Party Completely Eliminated from State Assembly
With Ronnie V. Lyngdoh leaving the party, there are now no Congress MLAs left in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. This situation is considered a serious blow to the Congress from a political perspective, especially in a region like Northeast India, where the party's hold was once considered b. Currently, the NPP-led coalition government has the support of 32 MLAs, further strengthening the party's position.
The National People's Party (NPP) has gradually strengthened its position in Meghalaya. Already in power, this party has further increased its dominance over state politics by bringing the remaining Congress MLAs into its fold.
A Wake-Up Call for Congress
The state of the Congress in Meghalaya is a wake-up call for India's oldest political party. Completely disappearing from the state not only reflects organizational failure but also indicates that the party is losing touch with local voters. The situation is not favorable for the Congress in other states of the Northeast either. In such a situation, the party urgently needs new leadership, strategic restructuring, and a focus on local issues to rebuild its base at the grassroots level.
