Summary:
Shillong, Nov 25 (PTI) Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh on Thursday said a letter written by 12 of the 17 Congress MLAs of the state informing him that they have joined the Trinamool Congress was being examined, and there was no irregularity in the matter.The desertion by more than two-thirds of the Congress legislative party makes TMC, a newbie in Meghalaya, the principal opposition in the Northeastern state.Lyngdoh said he has also received another letter from TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee recognising the 12 legislators as members of his party.“I have received their letter and I am examining it.
Whatever needs to be done will be done at the earliest,” the speaker told journalists here.Leader of the opposition and former chief minister Mukul Sangma, ex-Assembly speaker Charles Pyngrope and 10 other legislators on Thursday announced the decision to shift their allegiance to the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.The development added heft to TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee"s reputation of being a successful, albeit unpredictable, "political juggernaut", having steam-rolled over BJP"s ambition of ruling Bengal in the near future.
It also strengthened Prashant Kishor"s image as an emerging "Chanakya" in political strategising.
Sangma, who was the chief minister of the relatively calm northeastern state between 2010 and 2018, asserted the decision to shift allegiance to the TMC had its roots in the Congress"s failure to fight the BJP which was growing stronger.
But many say his action was prompted by his disaffection over the Congress leadership appointing Vincent H Pala as state party chief without consulting him.
“As you are aware the divisive forces in the country are growing stronger.