West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s unprecedented coup in Meghalaya – with 12 out of 17 Congress MLAs including former CM Mukul Sangma joining the TMC just ahead of the assembly polls in the state, was started from a meeting between Sangma and political strategist Prashant Kishor just two and half months back.
The rift between two-time chief minister Mukul Sangma and Meghalaya Congress started just after Vincent Pala was appointed as the chief of Meghalaya Congress on August 26 this year.
“The sustainability of our democracy is under threat. The political parties in opposition to ensure that the spaces available for the opposition is effectively optimal utilized as far as Congress is concerned. We had tried our best to prevail upon the leadership and we had made many trips to Delhi, but in spite of that we had failed to prevail upon the leadership. So, we look at the available options and we did and tried to reach out many people, many friends,” said Mukul Sangma, while addressing a press conference in Shillong on November 25.
Mukul Sangma also said that he met political strategist Prashant Kishor who can make a difference.
“He is my friend and meetings held with him. I am very happy to disclose that, when we interacted, I felt that we shared the same objective aim in interest of the people, state and the nation,” Mukul Sangma said.
An MLA of Garo Hills in Meghalaya said that, the first meeting between Mukul Sangma and Prashant Kishor was held in Kolkata two and half months back.
Not only Mukul, a few of his fellow MLAs had also attended discussions with Prashant Kishore in past two months.
Finally on November 24 evening, Mukul Sangma along with 11 other MLAs met Meghalaya assembly speaker Mehtab Lyngdoh and submitted a letter by informing that, they had decided to merge with the Trinamool Congress.
Despite not winning a single seat in last Meghalaya assembly election held in 2018, the TMC has now emerged as the main opposition party in the state after the latest political move and the Congress’s strength in the assembly has now reduced to five.
