The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has no future in Meghalaya as it is haemorrhaging leaders and grassroots workers all the time, Mendipathar MLA Marthon Sangma has said.
Sangma, too, was once part of the TMC before defecting in favour of the National People’s Party (NPP) ahead of the 2023 state Assembly election. He was able to retain his seat and the NPP won the election to secure its grip on power for another five-year term.
“The TMC has no future in Meghalaya and the reality is evident as grassroots workers are leaving in large numbers, knowing they will have no impact in the coming general elections,” Sangma said.
The TMC had high hopes at the 2023 election but underwhelmed, with only four seats won in Garo Hills and one in Khasi Hills. It then failed at the 2024 Lok Sabha election, could not wrest the Gambegre seat in the by-election a few months after that and has now decided not to field any candidates in the KHADC and JHADC election on February 21.
Sangma drew parallels between the TMC’s current state and that of the Congress Party. The Congress had been a strong opposition force to the NPP until Dr Mukul Sangma led a large-scale defection of MLAs to the TMC, taking along with him Marthon Sangma. Dr Mukul Sangma was driven to that by an internal power struggle with Vincent Pala, the then Shillong MP and state Congress leader.
The Mendipathar MLA justified his defection to the NPP, claiming that it has ensured significant infrastructure development in his constituency, such as roadworks and a new college. He also scotched rumours that he could rejoin the Congress, calling it a sinking ship.
