Shillong, May 16: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang is finding it increasingly difficult to keep his flock together with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) going all out to woo the Congress? partners in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.
The frequency of meetings between the NCP and the constituents of the coalition, particularly the United Democratic Party, has increased over the past two days.
Even former chief minister F.A. Khonglam, who holds the revenue portfolio in the two-monthold ministry and is known to be close to Lapang, does not rule out the possibility of joining hands with the NCP. ?I am still willing to join hands with the NCP. I have nothing against the party,? he said.
Khonglam had contested the Assembly elections under the banner of the Hill State People?s Democratic Party (HSPDP) after being denied a ticket by the NCP. He said yesterday that everything depended on the ?tempo of the build-up to the Lok Sabha elections?.
Lok Sabha elections are due early next year and indications are that all regional parties will get together to put up a joint candidate against sitting Congress parliamentarian P.R. Kyndiah in Shillong constituency.
Though all regional parties are part of the ruling coalition, none of them appear keen to support the Congress in either Shillong or Tura, from where NCP general secretary Purno A. Sangma will surely seek re-election.
Sources said regional parties were peeved with the Congress for its ?high and mighty attitude?. Most believe that siding with the Congress has not benefited them in any way.
Deputy chief minister Donkupar Roy, who recently replaced E.K. Mawlong as UDP president, has made no secret of his desire to unite with the Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP). ?A merger will be the first step towards regional unity,? he has been quoted as saying.
Roy?s election as president in place of the seasoned Mawlong raised more than a few eyebrows in the Congress camp. The party believes that with Mawlong out of the way ? he is now only an adviser to the party ? the UDP is free to experiment. This could mean not just a merger with the MDP, but a combination that may well edge out the Congress.
What the Congress is most worried about is that the NCP has approached Roy with a ?take-all-and-give-us-the-leftovers attitude?. Such an offer, it fears, could tempt all regional parties to split the coalition.