Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee will address a public rally on January 18 in Garo Hills of Meghalaya, where Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of National People's Party (NPP) and TMC's face in Meghalaya and former CM Mukul Sangma will fight in the Assembly elections.
Banerjee will address a public meeting at Mendipathar in North Garo Hills as part of TMC's preparation for the Assembly elections. TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien, Mukul Sangma, besides others will accompany Banerjee.
This will be Mamata's second visit to Meghalaya where TMC has set its eyes to win the Assembly elections. Mamata visited Shillong, the state capital on December 13 and formally sounded the poll bugle for the Assembly elections.
Garo Hills has 24 out of 60 Assembly seats.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, TMC did not win a single seat but it suddenly became the largest opposition party in Meghalaya in November 2021 when 12 Congress MLAs led by former CM Mukul Sangma joined TMC.
Conrad Sangma will contest the elections from South Tura seat in Garo Hills while TMC has named Mukul Sangma as a candidate in both Somgsak and Tikrikilla constituencies in Garo Hills.
The NPP at present leads the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government in which BJP is a minor ally with two MLAs. The NPP, however, has set its target for absolute majority in the next polls. TMC, on the other hand, wants to win the elections and form their first government outside Bengal.
Published 16 January 2023, 13:49 IST