TURA, Nov 25: Former MLA of Tura who came close to defeating late PA Sangma and his daughter Agatha Sangma in the 2008 and 2018 elections from Tura constituency has termed Congress leader Mukul Sangma’s departure from the party as nothing short of “good riddance”.
“As long as Mukul Sangma was in the Congress, he never allowed any genuine leader or party worker to grow. It was always his family members and coterie that got tickets and financial assistance to contest the elections. His (Mukul) departure is a blessing for the Congress,” stated a confident Billykid A Sangma, who recently returned to the Congress fold after the appointment of Shillong MP Vincent Pala as the new state party president.
According to Billykid Sangma, who had a tumultuous relationship in the Congress when Mukul Sangma was the “undisputed” leader of the Congress from Garo Hills, “only the real and true Congress followers have stayed behind the party”.
“People of Garo Hills and even the whole state were fed up with his arrogance in power when he was chief minister. Why do you think Congress got only eight seats in Garo Hills against the NPP’s 10 seats despite him being the chief minister during the 2018 elections?” questioned Billykid A Sangma, who told The Shillong Times that more and more ‘genuine’ and ‘dedicated’ workers and leaders would now return to the grand old party.
“He (Mukul) was the biggest hindrance to the growth of the Congress in Meghalaya, especially Garo Hills, because all along he only groomed his family members and his diehard supporters and not the interest of the party. Today, many people in Garo Hills are overjoyed with his exit and are returning to the Congress following his departure,” says Billykid Sangma.
Three-time sitting MLA from Gambegre, Saleng A Sangma, nephew of Billykid Sangma, also left the Congress after Mukul Sangma tried to depose him in the 2013 elections. Despite all odds, the young politician managed to survive the onslaught and returned with a wafer-thin majority in the 2018 elections defeating Zenith Sangma’s wife Sadhiarani Sangma of the Congress.
There is now talk of Saleng’s return to the Congress fold, however, the Gambegre legislator has kept mum on all speculations doing the rounds.
