Five AITC MLAs likely to jump ship to UDP

SHILLONG, May 10: An alert sounded by the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) seems to have set the cat among the pigeons in the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) camp forcing the leadership in Kolkata to summon party’s state president Charles Pyngrope and parliamentary party leader, Mukul Sangma, for urgent deliberations.
The I-PAC team had alerted the central leadership that some MLAs were likely to leave the party ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
A source informed The Shillong Times that five AITC MLAs — George B Lyngdoh, Himalaya Shangpliang, Shitlang Pale, Marthon Sangma and Jimmy D Sangma — were planning to join the UDP.
UDP general secretary, Jemino Mawthoh, had recently claimed that talks with seven sitting MLAs were at an advanced stage. He had refused to divulge the names.
The source revealed that the UDP leadership had extended an invitation to Pyngrope to join the party and had offered the ticket for the Mawryngkneng seat.
However, Pyngrope is said to have turned down the offer since he did not want to leave Nongthymmai.
The source disclosed that most of the AITC MLAs were unhappy with party leader Mukul Sangma’s “dictatorial” attitude.
“Most of the MLAs are unhappy with Dr Mukul over his dictatorial attitude. But they are still hanging on to the party since Pyngrope had requested them,” the source said, adding that the state Trinamool chief was fighting a losing battle to pacify these disgruntled MLAs who are now planning to shift base to the UDP.
The source said both Pyngrope and Sangma were scheduled to meet AITC national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata and added that it would be interesting to witness how the central leadership will address this first major crisis that has accosted the party since its grand entry in Meghalaya in November last year.