Congress suffers setback in Meghalaya
Ranikor, June 12: The opposition Congress in Meghalaya on Tuesday suffered a setback after its party members from South West Khasi Hills district's Ranikor block resigned en masse and joined the ruling National People's Party while the local legislator is likely to follow suit.
Former Public Works Department Minister Martin M. Danggo, who is the sitting Congress legislator from Ranikor assembly constituency, is expected to resign as member of the state assembly and from the Congress.
The resignations came in wake of the refusal of the previous Congress government headed by Mukul Sangma, now the Leader of Opposition, to the local demand to upgrade the Ranikor Community and Rural Development Block to a Sub-Division.
Ranikor, bordering India-Bangladesh border, is around 121 km from Shillong
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who attended a meeting at Ranikor, recognised that the demand of the people for creation of a Sub-Division was a "genuine" demand and assured his government would fulfil it at the earliest.
During the meeting, the Congress block unit was dissolved by its President and General Secretary and all members welcomed by the state NPP President W.R. Kharlukhi in presence of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who is also the National President of NPP.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Home Minister James K. Sangma, C&RD Minister Snaiwbhalang Dhar and others were also present.
Danggo, who hosted the public meeting on behalf of the people of Ranikor, expressed his confidence in the leadership of Conrad Sangma and said that he foresees a brighter future for Meghalaya under his leadership.
"I am thankful to the Chief Minister for his assurance to accept our memorandum and demands. I assure him that I will resign from Congress party as and when the date for the inauguration of the new Civil Sub-Division is made," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Ab kya hoga, ye rab jane...': Tharoor takes dig at failed US-Iran talks in Pakistan
 (3)_vb_24.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday took a swipe at the "failed" US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan with an Urdu couplet, saying only god knows now what will happen.
"Ab kya hoga, ye rab jane; Na woh mane, na ye mane (only god knows what will happen now as both sides did not agree)," Tharoor said on X, tagging a post-talks video clip of US Vice President J D Vance, who led the American delegation at the negotiations in Islamabad.
The United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal at their historic 21-hour talks in Pakistan, leaving the fate of a tenuous two-week ceasefire in doubt, with both sides attempting to hold each other responsible for the collapse of the negotiations.
अब क्या होगा, ये रब जाने
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 13, 2026
ना वो माने, ना ये माने https://t.co/DYrXpa7C8h
Vance said the Iranian side did not accept Washington's terms for ending the war even as the US presented its "final and best offer".
Hours after the talks collapsed, US President Donald Trump said on social media that the negotiations with Tehran failed as "Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions".
Trump said the US Navy will actively interdict any vessel in international waters found to have paid tolls to Iran for transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiation team, said it is for the US to decide whether it can "earn our trust or not".
The Iranian foreign ministry, without elaborating, said the US side resorted to "excessive" and "illegal demands".
The failure to reach an agreement has dimmed the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy marke
