Sources claim that in a major setback to the Congress in Meghalaya, 12 of its 17 MLAs in the state joined the Trinamool Congress.
Trinamool Congress sources claim, “12 out of 17 Congress MLAs from Meghalaya have joined the Trinamool Congress.”
Party’s Meghalaya in-charge Manish Chatrath may visit Meghalaya on Thursday. Sources have informed that Chatrath has canceled his Gujarat tour tomorrow.
“Manish Chatrath postponed tomorrow’s visit to Surat in Gujarat, where he was to attend the first death anniversary of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel,” sources said.
According to Congress sources, Chatrath will soon give a full report to the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi.
Notably, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal held a meeting at the AICC Headquarters in New Delhi on November 18, attended by Manish Chatrath, to evaluate the party’s performance in the recently concluded by-elections in Meghalaya.
MPCC president Vincent H Pala, CLP leader Mukul Sangma, MPCC working president M Arnaparin Lyngdoh, AICC in-charge Manipur Charles Pyangrop, MPCC working president Marthan Sangma and James Lyngdoh and other state party leaders also attended the meeting.
Meghalaya’s ruling party, the National People’s Party (NPP), won the Rajabala, Mawringneng assembly seats, while the United Democratic Party (UDP) won the Mawphlang assembly seat in the October 30 by-elections.
The TMC has seen a steady stream of leaders over the past few months after leaving the Congress.
In September, former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro joined the TMC after resigning from the primary membership of the Congress. After the Faleiro shift, nine other Congress leaders also joined the TMC.
Congress MP from Silchar in Assam and former president of All India Mahila Congress Sushmita Dev had joined TMC in August this year. He has been assigned to look after the affairs of TMC in Tripura.
In addition, both Luizinho Faleiro and Sushmita Dev were awarded Rajya Sabha seats after joining TMC.
Ahead of the 2022 Goa Assembly elections, North Goa Congress Seva Dal chief Ulhas Vaskar and Shiv Sena block president (Ponda) Vinod Borkar joined the TMC on October 21.
Congress leader Kirti Azad and former Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar have also joined TMC recently. Tanwar was once close to Rahul Gandhi.
Two senior Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh had joined the TMC in October, Rajeshpati Tripathi and Lalitpati Tripathi.
Rajeshpati is a former MLC and Laliteshpati is a former Vice President and former MLA of Uttar Pradesh Congress. Rajeshpati and Laliteshpati are the grandsons and great-grandsons of Kamalapati Tripathi, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
Banerjee had visited Delhi in July this year. This was his first visit after the Trinamool Congress returned to power in the Bengal assembly elections. During his visit, he had met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi among other leaders.
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