12 of 17 Congress MLAs join Mamata Banerjee’s TMC in Meghalaya: Reports

In a major blow to Congress in Meghalaya, as many as 12 of its 17 MLAs in the state joined Trinamool Congress, claim sources.

"12 out of 17 Congress MLA from Meghalaya have joined Trinamool Congress," claims Trinamool Congress sources.

The party's Meghalaya in-charge Manish Chatrath can go to Meghalaya on Thursday. Sources have informed that Chatrath has cancelled his Gujarat visit tomorrow.

"Manish Chatrath postponed tomorrow's visit to Surat in Gujarat, where he was scheduled to attend late Congress leader Ahmed Patel's first death anniversary," sources said.

According to sources in Congress, Chatrath will soon give a full report to the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi.

Notably, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on November 18 held a meeting at AICC headquarters in New Delhi, which was attended by Manish Chatrath to evaluate to party's performance in the recently concluded by-polls in Meghalaya.

The meeting was also joined by other party leaders of the state including MPCC President Vincent H Pala, CLP leader Mukul Sangma, MPCC working president M Arnpareen Lyngdoh, Secretary AICC in-charge Manipur Charles Pyngrope, MPCC working presidents Marthon Sangma and James Lyngdoh.

Meghalaya's ruling party, the National People's Party (NPP) won Rajabala, Mawryngkneng Assembly seats while the United Democratic Party (UDP) bagged Mawphlang Assembly seat in the bypolls which took place on October 30.

TMC has witnessed a steady stream of leaders joining its ranks after quitting from Congress in the last few months.

In September, former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro joined TMC after resigning from the primary membership of Congress. Following Faleiro shift, nine other leaders from Congress also joined TMC, sources had informed.

Congress MP from Assam's Silchar and ex-president of All India Mahila Congress, Sushmita Dev had joined the TMC in August this year. She has been assigned to look after TMC's affairs in Tripura.

Moreover, Luizinho Faleiro and Sushmita Dev both were awarded Rajya Sabha seats after joining TMC.

Ahead of the 2022 Goa assembly polls, 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 also recently joined TMC. Tanwar was once a close aide of Rahul Gandhi.

Two senior Congress leaders of Uttar Pradesh had joined TMC in October including Rajeshpati Tripathi and Lalitpati Tripathi.

Rajeshpati is an ex-MLC and Laliteshpati is former Uttar Pradesh Congress vice-president and an ex-MLA. Rajeshpati and Laliteshpati are the grandson and the great-grandson of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kamalapati Tripathi, respectively.

Banerjee had visited Delhi in July this year. It was her first visit after Trinamool Congress returned to power in the Bengal Assembly polls. During her visit, he had met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi amongst other leaders.