TURA, Dec 8 : Heading on expected lines with the recent shift of 12 Congress legislators headed by Charles Pyngrope and Mukul Sangma to the Trinamool Congress, a major chunk of youth congress leaders and supporters have followed suit by discarding the grand old party for Mamata Banerjee’s party in the Garo Hills on Wednesday.
Organised by the outgoing Meghalaya Youth Congress leaders, a ceremonial entry into the All India Trinamool Congress was staged at New Tura Law College field where dozens of congress workers and supporters embraced the Trinamool party signifying the entry of the West Bengal party into the region in a big way.
The aggrieved congress workers, who owed their allegiance to former chief Minister Mukul Sangma have been miffed with the Congress high command for the manner in which their leader was sidelined and Shillong MP Vincent Pala was given appointment as the new state party president.
The outgoing congress leaders claim that the shift to the trinamool by the youth leaders and supporters have been near total.
The resignation from the congress and the entry into the trinamool was led by former Youth Congress president Richard Marak.
Interestingly, as many as four youth leaders who contested the last 2018 assembly polls but lost out have also joined the trinamool giving it a considerable boost.
Some like Rupa Marak of Dadenggre gave a tough fight to NPP heavyweight James Pangsang K Sangma in Dadenggre seat in the last elections. Marak was the district youth president, until recently. Rupa came second in that election, despite being an Independent candidate, losing to James by 2785 votes.
Other leaders who have considerable following within their respective constituencies and had taken the election plunge, last time, includes Rupert M Sangma (ex MDC) and Adamkid A Sangma, both former contestants from north Tura seat.
Thomas A Sangma of the NPP won that contest while Adamkid and Rupert came third and fourth, respectively.
Then there is also a former government veterinary doctor Saljagringrang R Marak joining Trinamool from the congress. He contested the 2018 assembly polls from Baghmara constituency and came in 5th position.
The entry of several adversaries from different corners of Garo Hills into a single entity as the Trinamool is propelling the Mamata Banerjee party as a formidable foe to take on the likes of not just the congress but even the ruling NPP which has for long been expanding its influence and support.
According to outgoing youth congress president Richard Marak, people in the state are looking at an alternative after witnessing the central government’s alleged crony capitalism which is benefitting certain individuals and groups alone.
He also said that the current dispensation- the MDA government headed by the NPP has failed to transform the lives of the people and were only providing lip service with nothing tangible on the ground to see.