Decision to quit Congress to join Trinamool is a trendsetter: Former Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma

The decision to move away from Congress Party and join the Trinamool is a trendsetter and is based on the aspirations of Congress karyakartas and the collective desire of the people, former Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma, who defected with 11 other Congress MLAs to Trinamool, claimed on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, along with the other MLAs who have defected in the presence of Partha Chatterjee, a senior Trinamool leader, Sangma said that people wanted an alternative. He added that this move is just a trendsetter, and more such political churns would occur in the Northeast, and across the country.

“Seeing no ray of hope, (Congress karyakartas and those aligned to its ideology) wanted an alternative. This decision is on behalf of karyakartas. Today what we have decided is a trendsetter, what’s going to happen in the North-East, and across the country, you will see this happening in a number of states now,” said Sangma.

Charles Pyngrope, MLA, and the newly appointed president of Trinamool’s Meghalaya unit, said that Bengal and Shillong share strong bonding, and with Trinamool’s strength, it will be possible to fulfil aspirations of the state.

Partha Chatterjee, senior Trinamool leader, claimed that the 12 MLAs who joined recently, have felt that to fight against the BJP, Mamata Banerjee is the only force to fight along with. “I am personally delighted to see that AITC which started its journey from West Bengal is now a strength and a principal party in Tripura, Meghalaya,” he said, adding that the party will also emerge as a strong force in Goa, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

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