Form of words:
Shillong: Former Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma, who has switched from Congress to Trinamool Congress (TMC), told ThePrint that his former party no longer had the commitment or campaign to win an election battle.
Sangma was among 12 of the 17 Congress MLAs from Meghalaya who jumped into the TMC on Wednesday.
In an interview to ThePrint, the two-time chief minister and former Congress chief in Meghalaya said that the party has failed to optimize the potential of its leaders.
“You cannot build yourself as a political party that becomes insignificant in a state,” Sangma said. “You need to be able to take on your rival political parties… If you see that you are only participating, how will it enable you to achieve that objective.”
Sangma pointed to the 2018 assembly elections when the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 21 MLAs in the 60-member assembly.
“In 2018 only the Congress party could form the government in Meghalaya,” he said. “But we could not do so because the will to fight and the commitment to fight and win the electoral battle was missing.”
Eventually, the National People’s Party, which had 20 seats, formed a coalition government with the United Democratic Party, the People’s Democratic Front, the BJP, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (two seats) and two independents.
Congress also lost its tag in 2018 biggest party After the resignation of one of its legislators in the state, Martin M. Danggo. Then in the by-elections held last month, NPP managed to capture three more seats from Congress.
‘Like-minded people coming together’
Asked about his journey to Trinamool Congress, Sangma said, “We were really searching, and really trying our best to find out that maybe something could happen within the Grand Old Party itself. But we saw that things are not going to change.”
During this “extensive exercise to find answers”, Sangma met several leaders including political strategist Prashant Kishor.
“I also met Prashant Kishor and we were thinking about how we can make an impact in the mind of our leadership in Congress. But he too gave up,” he said. “But there was a meeting of minds.”
Kishor, whose political advisor Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) was hired by the TMC for the 2021 elections, is helping Mamata Banerjee’s party. expand your footprint Northeast and other states.
The decision was cemented after more discussions and the 2021 West Bengal elections, where the TMC took a jibe against the BJP, which was hoping to make significant inroads in the state.
Sangma said, “I have known Mamata Banerjee since she was in Congress, we are watching her closely…she does what she says.” “He is ready to bring together like-minded people and mobilize his thoughts and forces to achieve an agenda on a pan-India basis and not confined to the borders of West Bengal… That is why we have done this. But decided.”
Responding to a question whether he is considering joining the BJP, he said, “The BJP will have to change its outlook on how it sees India. Considering the vast diversity of this country, there should be a sense of harmony among them.”
dissatisfaction with congress
Sangma’s dissatisfaction with the Congress had become particularly evident in the past few months. Vincent H. Palas Appointment as state party chief. An inter-party dispute had begun, due to which a Rahul Gandhi’s visit in early October.
“I have been in politics for so long. But suddenly I saw someone who has not even completed five years in politics, being given such a complicated role,” he said. “You cannot form a party like this. They may be brilliant… but politics is a different game.”
Regarding the Congress’s current position in national politics, Sangma said, “If you do not use your hand, it will atrophy… you may not be able to stop the aging process, but you will age.” We are able to slow down the process of growth. There are ways to do things. So even in politics, I think you have to take a scientific approach.”
(Edited by Arun Prashant)
Read also: Trinamool leader arrested for ‘trying to slander’ BJP workers in Tripura, TMC says fake case
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