Shillong, Dec. 17: Setting all speculation at rest, the Congress Legislature Party last evening decided to continue being part of the ruling coalition led by the NCP, but many in the party still favour pulling out from it.
?The Congress in Meghalaya is still divided on the issue of pulling out from the NCP-led People?s Forum of Meghalaya coalition,? a source said.
While legislature party leader D.D. Lapang said the decision to remain in the government was ?unanimous?, party president S.C. Marak said he had no option but to go by the ?majority decision?.
However, the decision had not pleased many. ?The best decision at this juncture will be to leave the government and not stay (in the coalition) merely on the pretext of providing stability to the government,? a Congressman said.
Immediately after the legislature party meeting ended late last evening, Lapang claimed that the Congress could not walk out of the government as it had joined the alliance to fight corruption and ensure stability.
?We feel by staying in the government, we can address issues like the Calcutta Meghalaya House deal better,? was how Lapang explained the decision to stay put.
He, however, did not mention the online lottery scandal, which has put the F.A. Khonglam government under the scanner. He said taxation minister Mukul Sangma, a senior Congress leader, had briefed the legislature party on the online lottery deal.
Asked what the reaction of the party would be if the four MLAs who allegedly have links with militants were found to be from the Congress, Lapang said: ?If anyone is found to be involved, then action will be taken.?
PCC chief Marak said the militant-politician nexus could affect the electoral prospects of the Congress, just as it would in the case of other parties.
?The matter is sensitive and should not be kept hanging till the Assembly elections,? he said.
A senior Congress legislator said that he would take up the issue in the ongoing winter session of the Assembly, which started today.