Meghalaya: In a major blow to the Congress, 12 out of its 17 MLAs in the Meghalaya Assembly on Thursday joined the Trinamool Congress.
Former Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma along with other MLAs after joining Trinamool Congress said that they have decided to join the party after analyzing ways to ‘serve’ people better.
“The elected public servants have commitment and responsibility to serve people. After extensive analysis, we have decided to join TMC. The work done by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is commendable,” said Sangma.
Notably, after this joining it was a big blow for the Congress in the northeastern states and a toe hold for the TMC.
Sangma further alleged that despite complaining to Congress’ central leaders about the practical problems, the party central leadership didn’t address the problems.
The 12 MLAs defected to the TMC in presence of TMC minister Moloy Ghatak and Manas Bhunia.
According to poll analyst Subhamoy Moita, this development is a major boost for Trinamool Congress at a time when TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is trying to expand her party outside West Bengal.
West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that it is ‘game of money’.
“The BJP and the TMC had given hefty sums to the Congress leaders for the defection. The main agenda of both the BJP and the TMC is to break the Congress,” said Adhir.
BJP Meghalaya vice president Dipayan Chakraborty said that it will be difficult for the TMC to establish the party in Meghalaya.
“Mukul Sagma wanted to do something independently for which he had defected to the TMC. It is now worth watching what he does post defection. Moreover, it is really difficult to establish TMC outside West Bengal as it is a regional party. The condition of West Bengal is known to everyone here so no one will accept TMC,” said Dipayan.
