By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 4: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership has maintained a stoic silence regarding the upcoming Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) polls. However, sources have confirmed that the party has decided to opt out of the race.
Signs of disintegration within the party are becoming evident, starting from the constituency of TMC state chief, Charles Pyngrope. Reports suggest that hundreds of party workers from his constituency are preparing to join the State Congress and are even pressuring Pyngrope to follow suit.
Despite repeated attempts to seek clarity, key TMC leaders, including Meghalaya in-charge Manas Bhuyan, state president Charles Pyngrope, and TMC Parliamentary Party president Mukul Sangma, have remained silent on the matter.
Earlier, Pyngrope admitted that the party lacks a significant vote share in the tribal belts of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. He also cited a lack of communication from the party’s high command, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding TMC’s participation in the district council polls.
Previously, the party had announced that it was undecided on contesting the KHADC and JHADC elections. However, sources indicate a widening communication gap between Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope, the two key TMC leaders in the state. Other party leaders have also expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of communication from both the central and state leadership, further solidifying the decision to skip the polls.
TMC’s decision to withdraw from the district council elections marks another setback for the party, which has been struggling to regain its footing following its poor performance in the 2023 Assembly elections. The party has been experiencing a significant exodus of grassroots workers and leaders to other political parties.
Recently, the State Congress claimed that as many as 1,500 TMC workers from Nongthymmai constituency, represented by Charles Pyngrope, have decided to join its ranks.