Veteran Congress leader DD Lapang, who had become the CM of Meghalaya four times has left the party. According to reports, Lapang has penned a resignation letter to his party president Rahul Gandhi and has cited the sidelining of senior and experienced leaders as the main reason for his resignation.
Lapang had previously made clear that he would not contest in the February 2018 assembly elections in Meghalaya. Following this announcement he was removed as the chief of Meghalaya Congress Party in December 2017.
Lapang has reportedly written in his letter that lately the AICC has been embarking upon a policy of phasing out senior and elderly people and he thinks the services and contribution of senior leaders are no longer needed in the party. He has reportedly added that the restrictions made him uncomfortable and frustrated.
Lapang has reportedly sent his resignation to 10 others in the party including Sonia Gandhi, Meghalaya Congress chief Luizinho Faleiro and former CM Mukul Sangma.
Congress had lost the assembly elections in Meghalaya earlier this year and the National People’s Party, in coalition with the BJP had formed the government. Lapang was first elected to the state assembly in 1972 from the Nongpoh assembly seat as an independent candidate.
Congress has been severely weakened in Meghalaya in recent years. In June this year, members of the Ranikor Block Congress had resigned en-masse and had joined the ruling NPP. Before that, 115 members of the Chokpot and Baghmara block Congress Committee had resigned en-masse on the very day when Rahul Gandhi had kick-started the campaign for state assembly elections.