Meghalaya Congress leaders meet Sonia Gandhi, demand CM Mukul Sangma's ouster

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma faced revolt against his leadership in the party today after senior leaders met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and demanded his ouster.

State Congress chief and former chief minister D D Lapang, Planning State Board Chief Salseng C Marak and Transport Minister H D R Lyngdoh met the Congress president on the issue.

"We are optimistic that steps will now follow to remedy the situation in the state that includes change of the present leadership," the leaders said in a joint statement.

The meeting was exhaustive and quite comprehensive in exchanging views on the current political situation in Meghalaya, they said.

Among other issues discussed were law and order situation, decline and decay of the party at all levels in the state, and other related matters, the statement said.

"The party leadership is likely to take steps to ensure that the grievances are solved at the earliest," Lyngdoh told PTI over phone.

The ruling Congress in Meghalaya has been riddled with infighting and none of the leaders were able to complete a full five-year-term except Salseng C Marak.

Mukul Sangma, who was a confidant of former Chief Minister D D Lapang and was the deputy chief minister during the latter's tenure, had faced revolt in 2010 in the party but replaced Lapang after his re-election to the Assembly last year.