Shillong, Feb 22 : The Meghalaya AICC in-charge, Maj. (retd) Ved Prakash, today said there could be a change of government in the state if the Congress won the Umroi byelection to be held on Thursday.

According to Maj. Prakash, the people of the state wanted a change and if the Congress won the Umroi seat, it would try to fulfil the their expectations.

Speaking to The Telegraph from Umroi, where he is campaigning for Congress candidate Stanlywiss Rymbai, Maj. Prakash said the bypoll was critical for the party in the state.

The byelection was necessitated after the death of sitting United Democratic Party (UDP) legislator and former chief minister E.K. Mawlong on October 18.

The UDP has fielded Mawlong’s son, George Lyngdoh, against Rymbai.

Others in the fray are Erwin K. Syiem Sutnga of the HSPDP and Independent candidate Phrina Warjri.

Maj. Prakash said the people of the state had given the Congress the mandate to rule Meghalaya as the party had secured 25 of the 60 seats in last year’s Assembly elections.

The support of two more Independents has taken the Congress tally to 27 in the House, whereas the ruling Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) has the support of 32 members.

“The MPA does not have the mandate of the people as they somehow managed to form an alliance of parties and people with differences,” Maj. Prakash said.

He claimed that some MPA members wanted to join the Congress-led alternate government. He said the UPA government at the Centre had done a lot of development work in Meghalaya and only the Congress could form a stable government in the state.