SHILLONG — The Congress is trying to turn a period of political movement in Meghalaya into an organisational opportunity, with party president Vincent H Pala saying the upheaval around the UDP has given his workers more time and space to rebuild ahead of the by-polls.
Pala said Congress has spent the last six to seven months rebuilding its network through meetings and programmes across the state, including in Sumer, Soutanand, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi. The party, which has lost its elected representation in the Assembly, has been relying heavily on its grassroots workers during the period.
“When we lost our elected representatives, we initially thought the situation would be difficult. But the additional time has helped us reorganise and consolidate our workers,” Pala said.
He said the delay in holding the by-polls had worked in favour of the organisation, allowing workers to reconnect with voters instead of rushing into an election immediately after losing several political figures, including MLAs, MDCs and a district president.
Pala said Congress workers were now conducting meetings and programmes almost every day. He also pointed to the latest shift inside the UDP, where eight MLAs joined the BJP, reducing the regional party’s Assembly strength from 12 to four while taking the BJP from two to 10 MLAs.
He argued that the movement of leaders away from regional platforms had added another layer of uncertainty to Meghalaya’s regional politics. Pala said the changes could give Congress an opening in constituencies where voters were reassessing their political choices.
Pala acknowledged the obvious weakness facing the party: Congress currently has no MLA or MDC in Meghalaya. He said its campaign would therefore depend on its workers, supporters and organisational machinery rather than sitting legislators.
He cited the rise of the Voice of the People Party as evidence that an organisation can build an electoral presence without starting with a large bloc of elected representatives.
Pala also claimed that conversations during his village visits had found voters willing to return to Congress, pointing to the party’s long presence in Meghalaya and its reach across communities.
For now, the Congress has no elected representative to carry its banner inside the Assembly. Pala’s argument is that the party intends to carry that banner through its workers on the ground, as Meghalaya’s regional political map continues to shift.
