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Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and 11 other Congress MLAs are joining the Trinamool Congress, according to party sources late Wednesday, raising the prospect of Mamata Banerjee’s party becoming the state’s main opposition. Sangma’s departure, which has been in the works since September, is expected to be officially announced on Thursday. In the 60-member house, Congress has 18 MLAs, with Sangma, a five-time MLA, now leading the opposition.
Since Congress chose Shillong MP Vincent H Pala as the party’s state president, talk has swirled over Sangma’s likely departure. Sangma didn’t say much, but his talks with TMC strategist Prashant Kishor, general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, and TMC Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev fueled speculation that the defection was merely a courtesy.
Meanwhile, Congress has called the party’s leaders’ decision to join the TMC “drama” and stated that the party cannot be weakened. KC Venugopal, the organization’s general secretary, argued that previous attempts to destabilize Congress had failed. On Tuesday, former MP Kirti Azad and Haryana chief minister Ashok Tanwar were among the few who joined the TMC.