12 of the 17 Congress MLAs in the Meghalaya Assembly on Thursday joined the Trinamool Congress, dealing a body blow to the grand old party in the northeastern state.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said Rahul Gandhi and others in the high command are looking into it.
"This is happening like a conspiracy. People of our party, especially our party pres, Rahul Gandhi & others in the high command are looking into it. They will make a decision," news agency ANI quoted Kharge as saying.
"But I'd like to say that we'll try to come together to defeat BJP in the Parliament & fight against their ideology, regardless of the party or ideology we may belong to. We will continue to fight (against BJP) by meeting the people who have always been with us," he added.
Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who also joined the TMC, said the country needs a Pan-India opposition party and the Congress is failing to fulfill the same.
Addressing a press conference, Sangma said, "We have taken 'conscious decision' to march with the All India Trinamool Congress. This is the culmination of exhaustive due diligence and analysis. A complete sense of commitment towards serving the people has brought us to take this decision."
He further said, "In 2018, we were confident of winning the Assembly elections and forming the government, but we could not. We were the single largest party. Again, post-poll there were activities to poach our members. Later, the Congress party was reduced to 17."
Sangma said, "We have a team in Meghalaya which has demonstrated efficiency and earned the trust of the people. This trust and honor must be honored." The former chief minister said, "(As Congressmen), we are failing to fulfill the responsibility of the opposition party. We are failing in fulfilling our duty and responsibilities. The pulse of India is that there is a need of strong alternative opposition as a political party."
"Based on the perception, the Congress party is failing to really respond to its call of duty as a main opposition party in the country. Therefore, our exercise to find a viable option to take care of the state, northeast region and the country culminated in this decision (of joining the TMC)," said Sangma.
(With ANI inputs)
