Rymbai fate still unsure, Alva only adds to suspense

With Meghalaya going to polls in February 2008, most political parties — from the NCP to regional parties like United Democratic Party...

With Meghalaya going to polls in February 2008, most political parties — from the NCP to regional parties like United Democratic Party (UDP), Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and the Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP) — have announced their candidates for most of the 60 constituencies in the state. But the suspense over the fate of former chief minister and senior Congress leader J D Rymbai continues.

The recent visit of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Meghalaya, Margaret Alva, has only added to the confusion. She said Rymbai was going to contest the 2008 Assembly elections and journalists presumed that he will get a party ticket. Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee President O L Nongtdu later said: “Madam Alva simply said Rymbai was contesting. She didn’t say he was contesting as a Congress candidate.”

Rymbai is also unwilling to say whether he will be a Congress candidate or a UDP candidate as he had announced earlier. He was recently spotted at the Meghalaya PCC executive committee meeting, of which he is a member. He only said: “Let us not get into rumours.”

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Rymbai had toppled D D Lapang as Chief Minister after Congress rebels approached him to take over as CLP leader. Lapang managed to stage a comeback but he hasn’t forgiven Rymbai. For Lapang, Rymbai will remain a potential threat, in case the Congress manages to form the next Government. So, the Chief Minister and the PCC bosses managed to influence the Jirang Block Congress Committee into recommending the name of William Mynsong instead of Rymbai for the party ticket.

Even if Lapang manages to shut out Rymbai, he may still have to take on former chief minister and senior Congress leader Salseng C Marak. Marak had lost the last Assembly election by a narrow margin. Earlier, when Lapang and Rymbai were fighting over the Chief Minister’s chair, some partymen had suggested Marak should take over.

Therefore, as Lapang makes sure that he has fewer contenders to deal with after the 2008 Assembly elections, the infighting within the Congress continues to dominate and is likely to haunt the party even after the 2008 elections.