Mukul Wasnik named senior observer for Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland

| Updated: 27 December, 2022 3:18 pm IST

The Congress on Monday appointed observers for the upcoming assembly elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland early next year, with party MP Mukul Wasnik being named senior observer for the three states.

The development comes after Mukul Wasnik stepped down as in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, the Congress on Monday appointed observers for the upcoming assembly elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland early next year, with Wasnik named senior observer for the three states.

The Congress appointed two observers each for the states.

“The Congress president has appointed senior observers and observers for ensuing assembly elections 2023 for the respective states, with immediate effect,” the party said in a communication.

Wasnik, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, has been named senior observer for the elections in the three states, while party MP from Kerala Benny Mehnan and former MP JD Seelam have been appointed as observer for the Meghalaya polls.

For Nagaland, former Goa chief minister Francisco Sardinha and K Jayakumar, both MPs, have been appointed as observers while the Delhi Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely and party MP Abdul Khaleque have been named observers for the Tripura polls.

Assembly polls in the three northeastern states, where the Congress will seek to wrest power, are slated for early next year.

The appointments in Meghalaya come at a time when two suspended party MLAs — Former minister M Ampareen Lyngdoh, with party colleague Mohendro Rapsang — joined the ruling NPP in the state a week ago.

It was a fresh blow to Congress, which had lost 12 of its 17 MLAs in the state, including former chief minister Mukul Sangma, to Trinamool Congress earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Congress which was known as the principal opposition political party prior to 2018 in Tripura, had no MLAs after BJP came into the state as the majority of MLAs of the grand old party joined BJP.

In Nagaland, the Congress, which had once been a force to reckon with, has now been relegated to a mere party without a single MLA in the 60-member house.

The Congress, despite several electoral setbacks and desertions, is looking at reviving its failing fortunes in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura, states where assembly elections will be held early next year.

The Congress appointed two observers each for the states. “The Congress president has appointed senior observers and observers for ensuing assembly elections 2023 for the respective states, with immediate effect,” the party said in an official communication.

While Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Wasnik has been named senior observer for the elections in the three states, party MP from Kerala Benny Mehnan and former MP JD Seelam have been appointed as observer for the Meghalaya polls.

For Nagaland, former Goa chief minister Francisco Sardinha and K Jayakumar, both MPs, have been appointed as observers while the Congress’ Delhi unit leader Arvinder Singh Lovely and party MP Abdul Khaleque have been named observers for the Tripura polls.

Assembly polls in the three northeastern states, where the Congress will seek to wrest power, are slated for early next year.

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