SHILLONG, May 3: All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Meghalaya in-charge, Manas Ranjan Bhunia has described as “rosy dream” the prospect of the party working in tandem with the Congress in the state.
“It is a rosy dream. Our basic objective is to build the AITC in Meghalaya under the leadership of (party’s state chief) Charles Pyngrope and (leader of Opposition) Dr Mukul Sangma,” Bhunia said.
A house should be built first before inviting guests, he added.
The AITC in some states like Goa tried to reach out to other parties, including Congress, to take on the might of the BJP.
Bhunia said with Assembly elections just a few months away, the AITC’s primary objective is to strengthen its organisation and reach out to the people. He said the AITC is lucky to have got an established network under the party’s state leaders.
“Our leaders are very much acceptable and sincere. We are hopeful we can move stage by stage and contest the 2023 polls with a positive outlook. If there are any shortcomings, we will detect them and work on them,” Bhunia said.
Asserting that the AITC is giving equal importance to Khasi and Jaintia Hills, he claimed the people in this region are looking for a change as the government allegedly failed to live up to their expectations.
The AITC is an all India party and its Meghalaya unit is represented by the state leaders, Bhunia said to counter the statement of rival political parties that it is a “Bengal party”.
Citing that Mahatma Gandhi had started and established the Congress in Mumbai but it is not known as Mumbai Congress but Indian National Congress, Bhunia said the Meghalaya unit is a part of the AITC with Dr Sangma and Pyngrope taking the centre stage and not anyone from West Bengal.
On I-PAC and political strategist Prashant Kishor, he said, “IPAC is a helping unit of strategic policymaking, not a political party. IPAC advises political parties. It is also helping us with suggestions on matters of strategy and the relationship still remains.”
The AITC leader said issues such as interstate boundary dispute, unemployment, corruption etc, which are affecting the people of Meghalaya, compelled the party to think of an alternative and it will present itself to fit in the post.
