12 Meghalaya Cong MLAs, including Mukul Sangma, join TMC

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday said 12 of the 18 Congress MLAs in Meghalaya, including former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, have joined the party.

Sangma, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, was reportedly unhappy with the Congress' top leadership.

Among those who jumped the ship are all the eight MLAs from Garo Hills and four from Khasi Jaintia Hills.

While the former senior Congress leader had initially stated that he is not quitting the Congress, sources said that his differences with the party had increased manifold.

Reacting to the development, according to a report, Dr M Chuba Au, BJP in-charge of Meghalaya said that this isn't surprising. "Congress is a party with no leaders. Naturally, it is like a rudderless ship and thereby its party leaders want to go somewhere where they can get some sort of security. Cannot really blame the MLAs for jumping ship to another party," he said.

A senior leader of the TMC said with the new MLAs, the Trinamool Congress has become the principal opposition party in the state. The Congress, which so far had 17 MLAs, is now reduced to only five.

Sources said that with an eye on the Meghalaya polls in 2023, team members of poll strategist Prashant Kishor are in Shillong to weigh in TMC's options in the state.

In 2012, the Meghalaya Pradesh Trinamool Congress was formally launched with an intention to contest 35 of the state's 60 seats.