Some AITC MLAs may defect: Mukul

SHILLONG, May 17: Four MLAs of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) are looking for greener pastures and two of them have confirmed their decision to shift camp, party leader Mukul M. Sangma said on Tuesday.
His confirmation came after the National People’s Party (NPP) claimed that seven AITC legislators were willing to join them.
“Some tendency will always be there to explore other options and we respect that. Four of our friends have told me that they should be allowed to explore other possibilities if their tickets are not confirmed,” Sangma said.
Two have confirmed their decision while two others have not, he added.
He said their priority guides them and they want to go by the mood of the electorate. The AITC leader said every sitting MLA might not be renominated automatically. “Frankly, all our 12 MLAs may not be fielded, as candidature depends on the ground report and winnability of the candidate,” he said.
One has to remember that most sitting MLAs come with the burden of anti-incumbency, he said.
He said political parties will always look for candidates who command respect and popularity. “We also want to give opportunities to fresh faces,” he added.
He alluded to the 2018 elections when all five seats in Ri-Bhoi, all three in East Garo Hills and three out of four in North Garo Hills were won by first-timers.
Asked if it will create confusion among the electorates, Sangma said: “We are not keen on changing anybody. We are only deciding on the right candidates who can win the elections.”
But more than two-thirds of the sitting MLAs face anti-incumbency, he admitted.
Sangma hit out at the NPP, specifically Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for unleashing a “misinformation campaign” about seven AITC legislators jumping ship. “They are saying this because they are shaken on a daily basis as hundreds of people at the grassroots level are joining AITC,” he said.
He said NPP would not be immune to defections when the elections approach. “Many NPP leaders I have spoken to are keen on leaving the party. Elected representatives of various political parties will change colours. Don’t be surprised when it happens,” he said.