SHILLONG, Jan 5: Former NPP MLA from Phulbari SG Esmatur Mominin, who joined the Trinamool Congress on Thursday, predicted that his former will have to remain contended with only five seats while his new party will win the maximum seats in the Garo Hills region.
Mominin also stated that based on inputs they have, the chief minister will have to work very hard if he wants to retain his South Tura seat in his constituency.
The former Phulbari MLA formally joined the TMC on Thursday along with former MLA and sitting Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council member Robinus Syngkon.
“There are several factors that led me towards the TMC. I was not happy with the way the state government was functioning,” said Mominin.
Pointing out that he had raised the issue of the ad hoc teachers and the plight of the SSA teachers in the Assembly, he recalled that he had even met the Chief Minister and Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on numerous occasions but to no avail.
He said he was also displeased about the way the state government went about resolving the interstate border dispute with Assam.
“All of these really annoyed me and hence I decided to join the TMC,” he said.
Asked why TMC and not any other party, Mominin said, “There is a craze among the people of Garo Hills about the TMC since Mukul Sangma is leading the party. People are very happy with the way he had functioned when he was the CM.”
On whether he will be able to retain his seat, Mominin said, “The way I have tried to develop Phulbari in the last four-and-a-half years and the way the voters of the constituency have supported me, I am very sure that I am going to retain the seat.”
Asked why the NPP had denied him the chance to contest again from the party, he said he did not know the reason.
The NPP has named former Assembly Speaker AT Mondol as its candidate from Phulbari.
TMC state president Charles Pyngrope welcomed Mominin and Syngkon and said their entry into the TMC was a testimony of the faith people have on the party to bring prosperity, peace and progress in the state.
Opposition leader Mukul Sangma also welcomed the duo and criticised the state government for not attending to the problem of unemployment.
“There is an enormous responsibility to ensure we come together and put the future of the state in safe and able hands which will neither be influenced by greedy decisions nor self-centric goals,” Mukul said.
