SHILLONG, Jan 23: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday kicked off the NPP’s campaign to retain power in Meghalaya by issuing a veiled warning to TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, asking her to verify the credentials of her party confidantes, who are already discussing switchover plans once the elections are over.
Was Conrad’s remark just a mind game or was it a shrouded reference to a likely post-poll strategy of the NPP to poach TMC MLAs if the numbers don’t add up after the March 2 counting of votes?
The answer may not be hard to comprehend if the TMC’s reaction is taken into account.
Just hours after the CM referred to “word in the market” that some Trinamool leaders were discussing switchover plans after the elections, Opposition Chief Whip and TMC MLA George B Lyngdoh accused the NPP-BJP combine of working out an action plan of “buying” TMC legislators post elections.
The slugfest was pronounced.
Speaking from the ‘hallowed’ ground of Adokgre, Conrad referred to a talk going around. “The TMC leaders are already discussing their switchover plan to parties of their choice after the elections are over. I would advise Mamata Banerjee to check with her sources and get confirmation of the fact. Would she like to work to ensure they win and then see them undo her hard work?” Conrad questioned.
The CM continued: “Madam Mamata Banerjee, many leaders have joined you today; many leaders from different political parties have joined the TMC. But let me tell you and this is not Conrad Sangma saying it, this is the word in the market and you can ask anybody,” Sangma said.
“We have huge respect for TMC chief Mamata Banerjee because her party has always respected my father. However, she had given a speech on how national parties were trying to enter West Bengal and she promised to ensure that they were shunted out. The same is also applicable to our state. The TMC will be thrown out of the state just like other parties in West Bengal were shown the door,” Conrad said.
Lyngdoh retorted, saying: “Will the TMC MLAs leave the party after elections and join some other political parties or has the NPP and BJP already made an action plan to buy TMC MLAs post elections?”
Lyngdoh continued: “Conrad Sangma seems to have accepted that TMC will win many seats. NPP has now realised that it cannot depend on its own candidates to win the election.”
Lyngdoh further alleged that Conrad Sangma has already been negotiating with his “masters” in Guwahati and Delhi.
“The NPP and BJP are readying a counter-plan to thwart TMC’s progress as they fear our party’s landslide victory. Both allies are working on an action plan to buy the TMC MLAs,” he said while ‘thanking’ Conrad for acknowledging that TMC is now “a political force” which can be beaten only by applying unscrupulous means.
Conrad, however, was assertive that the NPP would beat the TMC, which had made a hue and cry about the campaigning of political parties without any root in West Bengal.
Notably, TMC used to call BJP an outsider in the run-up to the 2021 West Bengal polls.
When the CM was asked if the TMC would pose a threat since he had mentioned the party’s name a number of times during his speech, Conrad said he didn’t believe the TMC would put up much of a fight in Garo Hills.
“The TMC is the main opposition in the four constituencies in North Garo Hills and as such they were mentioned. We will change our speeches according to the situation and the constituency. They have a few places in Khasi–Jaintia Hills where they have some hold but I don’t think it’s going to make much of a difference,” the CM observed.
