Meghalaya: From 21 MLAs in 2018 to none in 2023, how Congress failed to retain its popularity in the hilly state

From having 21 elected representatives in the 2018 MLA Election to zero, a story of the downfall of the Indian National Congress here in the State of Meghalaya. 

The rise of the political strength of the National People’s Party (NPP) is what led to the truncated reigned of the Congress in the beautiful state of Meghalaya, as many would have seen it. The appointment of Vincent Pala as the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President is the last nail in the coffin. Once an elite force has turned into a “sinking ship”. 

- It may be mentioned in 2018, the Congress party emerged as the largest single party in the Meghalaya assembly election, but its tally of 21 seats fell well short of the halfway mark in the 60-member legislature. Who would have predicted, no political analysis would have seen Conrad’s NPP with just 19 seats would go on forming the government and serves the state for 5 years. 

Also Read: Meghalaya Congress finalizes names of 40 candidates for upcoming assembly elections

- In 2023, the once famous household name in Meghalaya- The Congress will have to start from scratch. Some of the prominent names in the list include Pala, former DSP turned chairman of the disbanded Garo terrorist outfit – Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), Champion R Sangma, former MLAs Dr Celestine Lyngdoh, J Antonius Lyngdoh, former CEM of the KHADC P.N Syiem, former MLA Deborah Marak, Billykid A Sangma, Edmund S Sangma, Sayeedullah Nongrum, Rophul S Marak and Brigady Napak Marak.

- Since winning 21 seats in 2018 the first crack in the Congress Party can be seen as former Speaker and Ranikor legislator MM Danggo quit the party to join the NPP just few months in 2018 after winning the election from the Congress. UDP’s Puis Marweiñ wins the by-election by two thousand plus votes margin. 

- The death of two Congress MLAs - Mawryngkneng MLA David Nongrum passed away on February after suffering a cardiac arrest and Rajabala constituency Dr Azad Zaman on March 2021. The two seats were later filled by the NPP’s Pynïaid Sing Syiem and Md. Abdus Saleh after the by-elections. 

- On November, the biggest rift in the Congress as 12 MLAs quits the party to join the West Bengal Party the All India Trinamool Congress. With just five MLAs left, in which two have recently joined the NPP and two have joined the Regional UDP, whilst one has joined the BJP. The Former CM and Congress face Dr Mukul said that he left Congress due to chalta hai ('it is ok', 'let it be') attitude which is the biggest flaw of the grand old party.

- Subsequently, with the resigning of the leaders, the youth wing of the party follow suit, on December almost 400 members of the Meghalaya Youth Pradesh Congress from the Khasi and Jaintia Hills tendered their resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party, the General Secretary of the youth Congress, Fernandez Dkhar, said, “For now, they need only people who have money. We are not happy; they are talking only about money."

The 2023 MLA election is where it will really test the Congress party in the State - either, it will revive to its former glory or always its chapter will be written off in the political books of Meghalaya politics.