The Hindu : Front Page : Can the Congress avoid a confrontation in Meghalaya?

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Sunday, Mar 04, 2007
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Can the Congress avoid a confrontation in Meghalaya?

K.V. Prasad

NEW DELHI: With reports that Meghalaya Chief Minister J.D. Rymbai has decided to dig in his heels after having been served with a termination notice, the stage appears set for a possible confrontation between him and the party high command.

Mr. Rymbai, who replaced D.D. Lapang in June last year, has been facing dissidence almost since the time he took over the reins. Last week, the party read the riot act to the Chief Minister.

Party sources here said that Mr. Rymbai was expected to visit Delhi on Monday, to attend an official meeting and submit his resignation to the party high command.

Information made available here suggests that Mr. Rymbai has lost majority within the 29-member Congress Legislature Party against the former Chief Minister Mr. Lapang, who has been pushing for his re-instatement.

In June, when AICC observers took a headcount, Mr. Rymbai emerged victorious with 17 MLAs supporting him. Apparently, the situation has reversed but the incumbent Chief Minister prefers to go down fighting.

Earlier this year, party secretary Ved Prakash conducted a secret ballot and carried the sealed envelopes to the party high command. However, since then the AICC did not give any decision on the outcome of a democratic exercise on the grounds that it would divert attention from the Assembly polls in Manipur.

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