TILAK RAISHILLONG, JULY 7: The conclusion of the general council meeting of the Hill State Peoples' Democratic Party (HSPDP), which was convened to decide on its own dissolution, was predictable. The members failed to reach a consensus at the meet.There had been hints that a section of the party workers led by one of HSPDP's founder members, Hopingstone Lyngdoh, would strive to throw cold water on the dissolution, which was supposed to pave the way for complete unity of the three regional parties in Meghalaya.Despite heated debate between the pro-unity party members, led by E K Mawlong and the anti-unity party followers, led by Lyngdoh, a formal decision to either dissolve or split the party was left to hang fire.

The day should have been Mawlong's, considering that a majority of the HSPDP members were in favour of a dissolution. In fact, the leader's followers had demanded that the issue be put to vote. However, Lyngdoh responded to this by threatening a walkout along with his supporters. But had Mawlong persisted with his demand, he could have clinched the issue.Lyngdoh's opposition was expected, but what surprised most was that Mawlong chose to deviate from the common wish of putting the issue to vote. Had voting taken place, Lyngdoh would have been forced to accept the majority verdict, notwithstanding his threat to walk out.Mawlong's refusal to put the issue to vote has loaded the dice in favour of Lyngdoh.

In the coming days, Lyngdoh is likely to outsmart Mawlong by holding meetings and claiming to have a majority. And in the event of a split, a fight will ensue between Mawlong and Lyngdoh for the party symbol.This controversy in the HSPDP is worrying the Hill People's Union and the People's Demand Implementation Convention, which have already taken the decision to dissolve their parties in favour of forming a cohesive single regional party.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.