SHILLONG, Sep 23: Former chief minister Mukul Sangma has neither confirmed nor categorically denied reports in the media about his overtures with Trinamool Congress. He feels time was not ripe for any such move.
Breaking silence over Vincent Pala’s appointment as PCC president without being consulted, he admitted that there are certain issues between him and Pala which needs to be resolved before both of them decide to work together in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls.
Replying to a query from this reporter if he would work with Pala in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls, Sangma said, “There are certain issues which are required to be resolved within the four walls of the party. Those are the important aspects which require complete clarity within the family.”
Sangma also said that there will be sincere attempts from his end to urge the leadership to have a collective endeavour to correct things which is required to be corrected which is simple but important while creating oneness within the party.
To another question on whether he would join the Trinamool Congress, the Opposition leader said that if there is any discussion towards that direction, he will share details with the media in a transparent way.
Stating that it is his responsibility towards the media for course correction of certain things whenever he should, Sangma said that he would try his best to do justice to the position which he holds in the party.
On being asked if he would consider floating a new party, Sangma denied the same saying that he does not foresee the need to float any new regional front since that stage has not come as of now. “If I decide, I will tell and if I want to take any step towards that, we will sit with our colleagues and like-minded people but as of now, I have not felt the need for that,” he added.
On previous media reports that the party MLAs wanted Charles Pyngrope as the MPCC chief but AICC elected Vincent Pala for the post, he said that they will have to find that out but within the confines of four walls of the party.
The former CM while commenting on the rejoining of RG Lyngdoh and PN Syiem also said that the Congress has always provided a platform for like-minded people and there are instances when people have left the party and come back.
“It is not that that they have gone back for ever and action taken by the party during those times were for a specific period of time and not permanent,” he said while adding that different people have left the party at different times and one individual cannot be blamed for the exodus of leaders from the party.
On being asked if the BJP has approached him, Sangma said that he is not aware about any such move but admitted that in 2015-16, the saffron party had made attempts to connect with him but he had expressed his decision to the BJP in clear terms.
Earlier during a press conference, Sangma said that any course correction should be done within the four walls of the Congress and he would not like to divulge much in the media.
He also admitted that he was in Kolkata and he wanted to remain inaccessible.
Making it clear that he would only talk to senior leaders in New Delhi over his issues, Sangma said that he wants to press for course correction at appropriate level within the party.
Sangma while reacting to a query over the division between Khasis and Garos admitted that politicians need to do more to create a bond of understanding and sense of oneness among people of the state. He also asserted that politicians have failed to bring the sense of oneness among the people.