Meghalaya Cong leaders to quit party before Assembly polls

Unhappy with the functioning of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, at least two senior leaders of the ruling Congress in Meghalaya today openly said they would quit the party before the Assembly election due next year.
Senior leaders such as former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh and former cabinet minister Prestone Tynsong decided to leave Congress.
"I have the intention of joining the NPP as the Congress' ticket on which I was elected had betrayed me and the people," Rowell Lyngdoh told PTI.
Claiming that he and his 'friends' were ignored by the chief minister, he said they would resign from Congress and join the NPP the moment the elections are announced.

Tynsong said, "I am not happy with the way the chief minister functions as a leader. I will resign very soon, may be before the last session under the present government."
The tenure of the current Assembly expires on March 6 next year.

Sources in the Congress said there were at least three more MLAs who would not contest the next Assembly polls on party tickets.
Lyngdoh, Tynsong and the other three MLAs have been removed from their positions in the party or the government this year.
The BJP state leaders have said the party welcomes any person who is willing to work for development of the state and is ready to root out corruption in Meghalaya.