Shillong: Former Rajya Sabha MP Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi pledged his support to Congress candidate Vincent H. Pala for the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election. Kharlukhi, who resigned from his role as National People’s Party state president two months ago, made the announcement on Monday. He aims to bolster the Congress presence in Parliament to challenge the BJP.
His pivot stems from deep opposition to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. He believes Section 16-A of the proposed legislation threatens the Christian minority. "I am very much against the FCRA amendment in its present form. For 79 years of independence, I feel threatened. Section 16-A is very disturbing and cannot be accepted."
Kharlukhi credited Congress for blocking the bill and sending it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. He argued that smaller parties carry little weight in the 543-member House. He noted his previous efforts regarding the Eighth Schedule, the Inner Line Permit, coal mining, and the Look South Policy yielded no results. He claimed that electing Pala would add a vital voice to the 99 MPs currently opposing the bill.
The former president dismissed rumors that his departure from the NPP resulted from being sidelined. He claimed he left the party on his own terms after 17 years of leadership. He also reiterated his long-standing opposition to the current reservation policy, fearing it could fracture state autonomy. While he plans to support the Congress campaign, Kharlukhi remained non-committal about officially joining the party or running for office in the 2028 Assembly elections. He simply stated that time will tell.
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