SHILLONG, Oct 1: It was a day of hectic political activity as the Opposition Congress seems to have averted a split engineered by CLP leader Mukul Sangma, who after returning from Delhi being cold shouldered by AICC leaders, engaged himself in political intrigues.
The day was filled with social media stories of Mukul and his team of party MLAs joining the Trinamool Congress. The story was filed by a national news portal lending credibility to the move.
Since morning his residence here was a bee hive of activities.
While Sangma rubbished reports of him trying to shift to the Trinamool Congress, Congress MLAs have confirmed that the CLP leader and his brother, Zenith Sangma had made attempts throughout the day on Friday to reach out to the Congress MLAs seeking their support.
“Mukul and his brother Zenith Sangma were fishing for support of the Congress MLAs for the past few days which did not go as planned,” said a Congress MLA who did not wish to be named.
Almost all the MLAs were approached barring a few and their signatures were sought to produce it before the Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh apparently to avoid action under anti-defection law.
The Congress legislator said that while few are aligned with the CLP leader others refused to fall in line.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Secretariat was abuzz throughout the day after the former CM sought an appointment with the Speaker. Speculation was rife that he was going to tender his resignation from the Congress along with a host of party leaders.
An official from the Assembly Secretariat confirmed that Mukul had sought an appointment with the Speaker.
However he did not turn up at the Assembly Secretariat after he failed to garner the required support.
Media persons who were waiting for him at the Assembly Secretariat reached his official residence and found some Congress MLAs there including Himalaya M Shangpliang and Mayralborn Syiem.
It was learnt that he called up several Congress MLAs to go to his residence but only a few turned up. Two Congress MLAs received phone call from Mukul in presence of journalists.
This scribe spoke with a senior Congress leader, who termed Mukul’s antics as nothing more than ‘political drama’ aimed at getting the attention of the AICC.a
