By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 29: Former Rangsakona MLA and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Zenith M Sangma officially rejoined the Congress on Wednesday.
He described his return as “homecoming.”
At a formal induction ceremony held at the Congress Bhavan, Shillong, Sangma was welcomed by AICC Meghalaya in-charge A Chellakumar, MPCC president Vincent H Pala, Tura MP Saleng A Sangma, and MPCC working president Deborah C Marak.
Sangma’s return is being seen as a significant boost for the Congress, particularly in the Garo Hills region where he enjoys strong grassroots support.
Observers viewed his move as yet another setback for the TMC, which has struggled to consolidate its presence in Meghalaya ever since its entry into the state.
“I have returned to the party my family has always believed in –Congress. It is the only party that can fight communal forces,” Sangma said addressing party workers.
“I have always been passionate about the Congress and active in politics since my youth. Rejoining today feels like returning to my own family,” he added.
Reflecting on his more than two-decade long association with the Congress, Sangma said he consciously decided to return to the party to continue the fight against the “corrupt and ineffective government.”
“I have always believed in clean politics. During my tenure as a minister, I was never involved in any corrupt practices and I can challenge anyone to prove otherwise,” he asserted.
Asked about the future of the TMC, Sangma remarked that the party’s leadership had failed to connect with the grassroots.
“The TMC has not been able to stay in public memory. It may continue to exist in a few pockets but not across the state,” he said, adding that the Congress remains the only “pan-Meghalaya and pan-India party.”
Dispelling suggestions of family-based politics, Sangma said, “In politics, when it comes to serving the people, there is no family. I represent thousands of people in my constituency, not a family name. That mindset must change.”
He slammed the NPP-led MDA government, accusing it of running a “regime of jungle raj and corruption.”
He alleged that there have been widespread irregularities in MeECL, and education, health, and social welfare departments, claiming that corruption is “destroying the state.”
