Shillong, June 8 Meghalaya Congress leader and three-time MP from Shillong Lok Sabha constituency, Vincent Pala, has said that he will work towards strengthening the party organisation at the 2028 Assembly polls.
Pala lost to the member of a new regional outfit -- Voice of People's Party candidate Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon -- by a huge margin of more than 3.71 lakh votes.
Before his loss in the 2024 polls, Pala had been representing the Shillong constituency in the Lower House of Parliament since 2009.
Talking to IANS, Pala said: "Voters may have chosen a better alternative for them in the Lok Sabha polls. In democracy, people have the right to accept or reject a candidate. They blessed me for 15 years and this time, they have picked another person as an MP."
The Congress leader, however, disagreed with the "theory" of anti-incumbency against him.
"I don't think there was anti-incumbency against me. It was just they wanted to go with another option," he said.
Pala has decided to return to state politics, and he wants to lead the Congress party in Meghalaya for the next Assembly polls.
He said: "I will give my best to bring Congress back to power in 2028. We will prepare the grounds accordingly."
Pala contested the Assembly elections in 2023 but lost.
"At that time, almost everybody left us. The situation was very unfavourable. But we have enough time before the next Assembly elections and the (overall) results of the Congress were good in the Lok Sabha elections. We are hopeful to bounce back in Meghalaya," the Congress leader said.
The Congress was ousted from power in Meghalaya in the 2018 assembly elections and an alliance government was formed under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party.
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