SHILLONG, Feb 18: The Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress, which made an explosive entry in Meghalaya in November 2021, with 12 sitting MLAs led by Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope joining the party, is staring down the end of the road at least in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
Party leaders seem to have accepted that the future for TMC is uncertain in Meghalaya.
“It is basically the end of the roads for the TMC in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region,” some TMC leaders admitted on the condition of anonymity.
On being asked what led to the prevailing situation for the party in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, the leaders said that despite trying their best, the party was unable to shed its “outsider” tag.
The party had won just one seat in Khasi-Jaintia Hills, the lone winner being TMC state president Charles Pyngrope who has always been a heavyweight no matter what political party he contests from.
TMC’s decision not to field candidates for the district council polls is a further confirmation of its non-acceptance in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. “The party did not make it in 2023 and it cemented the fact that the party cannot spread its wings here,” the party leaders said, while adding that if the TMC had got even 10 seats in the Assembly elections and been able to form the government, the perceptions of being an outsider party would not have happened.
Agreeing with the statement of NPP leader Marthon Sangma that the party has no future, the party leaders recalled that Marthon was with the TMC but left the party owing to differences, joined NPP and won the election.
“Had there been good coordination between him, Mukul Sangma and Zenith Sangma, the party would have won at least 10 seats,” the leaders added.
