SHILLONG, April 20: A reported move by state Trinamool Congress (TMC) to merge with BJP has come a cropper, even as party president Charles Pyngrope and parliamentary party leader Mukul Sangma discounted such a possibility.
According to a report in a language daily, four MLAs belonging to TMC which had a disappointing performance at the last election, were desperate to change their political fortune by joining the BJP bandwagon.
Mukul is said to have initiated the merger move with the BJP. Informed sources said that Mukul’s bête noire Conrad Sangma put his foot down and ensured that BJP’s top strategist and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma short circuited the move.
Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie feigned ignorance on the development. A top BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, confirmed to The Shillong Times that there indeed was a move by Mukul to merge with the BJP along with the four TMC legislators but the Assam CM nipped it in the bud.
He claimed that the first move was from the TMC but it was promptly turned down.
According to the source, Mukul’s sudden move to join the BJP was propelled after the Election Commission decided to strip the Mamata Banerjee-led party of its “national party” status.
Earlier in the day, Mawrie expressed ignorance on the development and said that the BJP had not received any communication from the TMC side. “We read in some sections of the print media that TMC MLAs are willing to join our party.”
He, however, welcomed the move and said they would welcome anyone willing to join the BJP whether it is an MLA or any party worker. “Anyone is free to join; there is no bar,” he said.
On the other hand, Pyngrope denied the report that TMC legislators were planning to merge with the saffron party.
“We have never discussed any such thing at any party forum,” he said while adding that the only discussions that have taken place are how to move forward with the present party and how to further build the party in the state.
When contacted, Mukul rubbished the news as an attempt to divert attention from serious issues confronting the state and the nation.
“There are so many issues confronting the state and the nation but ‘somebody’ wants to divert attention and you have media houses amplifying each other,” Sangma said.
It may be mentioned that TMC despite putting up energetic efforts in last February election could not cut much ice and the party won only five seats out of the 60 it contested. The party had launched an aggressive campaign in Garo Hills but could only bag four seats there. TMC won one seat in Khasi Hills (Nongthymmai).
It may be recalled that the speculations of TMC legislators merging with the BJP were first made by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong during the polls. Ever since, undercurrent of speculations has not died down.
Viewed from the perspective of state BJP, if the TMC leaders decide to merge with BJP, it would bolster party presence since BJP has been unable to make any inroads in Meghalaya.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda, among others, campaigned for the party in Meghalaya but the saffron party failed to make any impression with the voters.
However, some observers maintain that if TMC leaders led by Mukul Sangma merge with BJP, it would be a shot in the arm for it in Garo Hills since Mukul is still one of the popular leaders in the Garo Hills region.