National Desk, 22nd March: Vincent H Pala, the president of Meghalaya Congress, asserted that his party declined an alliance with the TMC in the state due to concerns that its leader, Mukul Sangma, would eventually join the BJP after the Lok Sabha polls.
Pala highlighted that eleven Congress MLAs, led by Sangma, had joined the TMC in 2022, resulting in the latter becoming the main opposition party in the state overnight. Despite winning only five seats in the 2023 assembly elections, the TMC’s influence grew.
“Our team approached Dr. Mukul and invited him to return to the Congress. However, instead of considering, he is persuading Congress workers to join the BJP,” Pala stated, citing instances where TMC leaders urged Congress members to defect.
Pala alleged that Sangma’s eventual shift to the BJP was inevitable, leading the Congress to reject an alliance with the TMC in Meghalaya after careful consideration.
He accused the state TMC of operating as the “B-team” of the BJP and expressed concern over potential losses if the TMC were to align with the BJP post-elections.
Pala emphasized the distinction between the TMC in West Bengal and its Meghalaya unit, expressing confidence in the Congress’s prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, especially in the Garo Hills region.
He predicted that the TMC would perform poorly in Garo Hills, citing significant defections from the TMC to the Congress in the region.
Pala, the Congress nominee from Shillong, and Saleng A Sangma, the party’s nominee in the Tura seat, are set to contest the elections. The TMC has fielded Mukul Sangma’s brother Zenith Sangma in Tura.
Attempts to reach Mukul Sangma for comment on Pala’s assertions were unsuccessful, and other state TMC leaders declined to respond.