Kolkata/Shillong: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday welcomed AITC leaders from Meghalaya.
Taking to Twitter, the Trinamool Congress said, “Today, AITC leaders from Meghalaya met with our Chairperson @MamataOfficial and our National General Secretary @abhishekaitc. “
Meghalaya Trinamool Congress leader and former Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma recently switched over to the TMC along with eleven Congress MLAs.
Former Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope, who was among the 12 rebel Congress legislators, who joined the TMC, was on Monday unanimously elected as the President of TMC, Meghalaya unit.
The election was held in Kolkata where all the twelve legislators, who defected from the Congress and merged with the TMC, held a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has been already elected as the parliamentary party leader of the TMC. The election was held at Sangma’s residence in which Umroi legislator George B Lyngdoh was elected as the opposition chief whip and Mawsynram legislator Himalaya M Shangpliang as secretary.
Pyngrope said other party bearers would be elected once the legislators return to the state. “Once we get back we would be holding discussions about the party and the organisational set up,” he said.
Asked if Speaker Methbah Lyngdoh had recognise the formal merger of the 12 Congress legislators into the TMC, Pyngrope expressed confidence that the Speaker would give his verdict in a day or two.
All the 12 legislators have personally met the Speaker at his office and handed over their letter to merge with the TMC.
The Speaker is consulting legal experts to give his decision. If he gives the nod for the merger, the TMC would be the main opposition party in the 60-member Assembly reducing the Congress to just five in the House.
Earlier, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president, Vincent H. Pala said that the party is mulling legal action against the 12 legislators who defected to TMC.
“Legally also we will fight. We are in touch with our lawyers. Soon we will also do something,” Pala said.
