SHILLONG, Dec 15: The Meghalaya Trinamool Congress is all set to declare the full list, or at least a majority, of its candidates for the 2023 Assembly elections before Christmas.
“For us it is a priority and even if we do not get the full list a majority of the list will come out,” Meghalaya TMC president Charles Pyngrope said on Thursday.
“We want to have it before Christmas because after that the election code of conduct will also kick-in in the first week of January. That is what we have been made to understand and it will be important for all political party not to delay the declaration of the candidates for all the sixty constituencies,” he added.
Talking about the prospects of his party, he said that during the last six months the rejuvenation of the party or the perception of the public is growing especially after the visit of the national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, twice, and the visit of Mamata Banerjee has given a fillip to it.
On MLAs joining the party, he said, “The doors are always open for everyone to join whether you are and MLA, MDC or just a party worker.”
Talking about former TMC legislator Himalaya M Shangpliang leaving the party and joining the BJP, he said, “There is no question of holding on if the person decides that joining another political party is better. Who are we to stop?”
Asked if Opposition leader Mukul Sangma will be the chief ministerial candidate of the party as was announced by Abhishek Banerjee, he said, “The TMC general secretary had mentioned son of the soil. We are all sons of the soil. He did not mention any name…it was misinterpreted by the press.”
“I was sitting next to the national general secretary and he did not mention any name but if the party feels they should have a face before the elections as a chief ministerial candidate it can be the call of the party and now of us has any objection to that,” he added.
Recalling the visit of the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, he said, “The party has made it clear that the affairs of the state will be run by the party in the state itself and not by anybody from outside. Regarding the chief ministerial candidate even yesterday she said it is up to us to decide.”
He also ruled out any leadership issue arising in the party and said, “No the leadership issue will not be there for the simple reason that as president of the party it is my duty to guide the party and take it forward. It is a cumulative effort that will help us win the elections.”
Earlier during the programme, the TMC leader welcomed Gilbert Laloo, former general secretary of the NPP East Khasi Hills unit and former president of the PDF zonal committee of Mylliem, into the party fold.
Laloo along with his supporters formally joined TMC at the party office in the city.
