Senior legislator Charles Pyngrope was today appointed as president of the Trinamool Congress in Meghalaya.
The appointment was made by Trinamool Congress national president Mamata Banerjee after the twelve MLAs led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma met her in Kolkata.
The MLAs were welcomed into the party by Banerjee in the presence of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Mamata wrapped the neck of each of the twelve MLAs with shawls printed with Trinamool Congress symbol.
Meanwhile, Pyngrope said that other party office bearers of the Trinamool Congress in Meghalaya would be elected in the coming days.
“Once we return to Shillong we would be holding discussion on the party set up in Meghalaya,” he said.
Pyngrope who is also a former Speaker also expressed confidence that Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh would give his verdict shortly on the validity of the merger of the twelve Congress MLAs with the Trinamool Congress.
Recently, the twelve MLAs had met Lyngdoh at his office and submitted a formal letter informing about their merger with the Trinamool Congress.
The Speaker is reportedly consulting legal experts on the matter.
If the Speaker agrees to the merger, Trinamool Congress would be the main opposition party in Meghalaya Assembly.
Already, the twelve MLAs have elected Dr. Mukul Sangma as the parliamentary party leader in the Assembly. Umroi MLA was elected as chief whip and Mawsynram MLA Himalaya M. Shangpliang was made secretary of the parliamentary party.
The decision of the twelve MLA to quit Congress was a major setback to the party in the State after the recent defeat in all three constituencies where by-elections were held.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, Congress had emerged as the largest party in the Assembly, bagging 21 out of 60 seats. However, the party could not form the government as NPP along with UDP, BJP, PDF and HSPDP besides independents cobbled up an alliance known as Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).
Trinamool Congress has now emerged as the major challenger to the Conrad Sangma-led MDA ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls in the State.
