Celestine Lyngdoh new Meghalaya PCC president

Celestine Lyngdoh today became the new Pradesh Congress Committee president of Meghalaya, where assembly polls are due this year.
Lyngdoh, who was appointed to the post on December 30 last year, took up the office a day after five Congress MLAs resigned from the Meghalaya assembly.
He replaced veteran Congress leader and former chief minister D D Lapang.
Downplaying the desertion by the Congress MLAs, Lyngdoh said We have to join hands together. The next government (in the state) will be the Congress government."
He said the values of the Congress are respect for the culture and every group and to bring in prosperity and assured that the new Meghalaya PCC team would not change them.

The newly appointed working president of the Congress, Vincent Pala said the "winnability factor" of the aspiring candidates was a criteria for distributing tickets in the assembly poll.

He claimed that opposition parties like the BJP, National Peoples Party and the Peoples Democratic Front were divided to the advantage of Congress.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma exuded confidence that the Congress would win in 38 out of the 60 seats in the state, eight seats more than in 2013 assembly elections for which the party would have to stay united.
Lapang admitted to internal differences in the party but it remained united.