By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 8: Inconsistent commitment, poor strategic planning and lack of sustained grassroots engagement led to rapid decline of Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Meghalaya, election strategist Divesh Ranjan said.
The TMC entered Meghalaya’s political landscape with strong ambitions, securing a notable 13.78 per cent vote share in the 2023 Assembly elections.
In the lead up to the polls, TMC leaders Mamata Banerjee, who is West Bengal Chief Minister, and Abhishek Banerjee visited Meghalaya multiple times to woo voters. However, after the elections were over, the party’s presence dwindled significantly.
“Rising public discontent with the NPP-led government created a clear demand for an alternative. Had TMC contested the MDC elections, it could have secured crucial seats, capitalising on voter frustration with NPP, Congress and UDP. The significant number of NOTA votes further underscored this discontent,” Ranjan said.
According to him, even the BJP, with just two MLAs, contested the MDC elections, while the TMC, which has five MLAs, remained absent. This decision allowed the Voice of the People Party to fill the void and emerge as a major gainer, he added.
The strategist said TMC’s Meghalaya in-charge Manas Ranjan Bhuiyan actively pushed for contesting the MDC elections, but the central leadership remained unresponsive.
He said questions remain about whether the party’s state president Charles Pyngrope attempted to reach out to Abhishek regarding contesting the MDC elections.
This lack of coordination was evident when Pyngrope’s own constituency, Nongthymmai Block, saw a mass exodus of TMC members to Congress just before the MDC elections.
Another significant issue has been the absence of structured discussions at the state, district and block levels. Since the 2023 Assembly elections, no meetings have been held leading to confusion among cadres and leaders on whether the party should contest the MDC elections.