Mamata to visit poll-bound Meghalaya on Jan 18

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee will visit Meghalaya on January 18 and hold a public meeting in North Garo Hills district to boost the morale of party functionaries ahead of the assembly polls due this year.

Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, had addressed a TMC workers' convention in the northeastern state last month, besides participating in pre-Christmas celebrations.

She will hold a public meeting at Mendipathar in the district on January 18, the party said on Sunday evening.

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Its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Leader of TMC parliamentary party in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien will be present at the rally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also visited Meghalaya in December to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the North-Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong.

The TMC has been trying to strengthen its foothold in the northeastern state along with Assam and Tripura in the region.

In November 2021, 12 out of the 17 MLAs of the Congress in Meghalaya had joined the TMC, making it the principal opposition party in the 60-member assembly.

During her December visit, Banerjee had launched a financial assistance scheme for women in Meghalaya, which has recorded over 3.14 lakh registrations so far, the party said in a statement.