Meghalaya: All 11 Congress members in North Garo’s Tribal Council join TMC

In another blow to the Congress in Meghalaya, 11 members of a tribal council in North Garo Hills district joined the Trinamool Congress, making the Mamata Banerjee-led party the main opposition in the local body. The Congress has no representation in the 30-member Garo Hills Autonomous District Council as all its 11 members have switched sides.

The NPP and BJP have 17 and two members respectively in the council. The northeastern state is divided into three autonomous councils for the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes. “A very special day for us as 11 join our family at MDC Resubelpara, North Garo Hills. We warmly welcome everyone!” The state unit of TMC wrote on Twitter. He was welcomed by former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who had recently joined the TMC.

TMC said, “Under the leadership of @MamataOfficial, we will ensure that our state continues to scale heights.” The abandonment of the MDC comes two weeks after 12 of the 17 Congress MLAs in the Meghalaya Assembly joined the Trinamool Congress, dealing a major blow to the grand old party in the northeastern state.