By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 29: The Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has been making attempts to woo leaders from other political parties in the state ever since former Congress Legislature party leader, Mukul Sangma and former Assembly Speaker, Charles Pyngrope led a group of ten sitting Congress MLAs and switched camp in November.
Since then the party, which is now the principal Opposition in the state, has been making relentless attempts to increase their strength by roping in other leaders. Mukul Sangma has, on more than one occasion, extended an open invitation to the remaining five Congress MLAs to join them.
Another leader that the party has approached is United Democratic Party working president, Paul Lyngdoh.
Revealing that the AITC has approached him to join their ranks, Lyngdoh on Wednesday said he remains committed to his original party and had no desire to join AITC.
Lyngdoh told The Shillong Times that angling is common phenomenon in politics where people always try to catch as many fishes as possible.
He reiterated that he was a committed party man and was a senior leader of the UDP. “I have made it clear to them (AITC) that I am committed to the UDP,” he said.
Reacting to a query on the speculation that he may contest the 2023 Assembly polls from North Shillong and not West Shillong, Lyngdoh admitted that there are some groups who want him to shift base to North Shillong.
“But I have already maintained that West Shillong has been my forte and I have been an MLA of this side of the constituency for the last three terms,” he said.
“The idea is now not to substitute constituency but to add to the UDP’s tally of constituencies. Whatever decision we take will be aimed at adding to the overall tally of the party,” he added.