Exclusive
Congress MP from Tura Lok Sabha constituency Saleng A. Sangma on Wednesday indicated that any decision by the Congress leadership in New Delhi to accommodate the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would leave the Meghalaya unit with little option but to accept former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma back into the party fold, underscoring that such matters were ultimately determined by the national leadership and not by individual leaders in the State.
Amid growing political speculation over a possible thaw in relations between the Congress and the TMC at the national level, Saleng Sangma said, “If Delhi accepts TMC there in Delhi itself then I don’t have any say on Dr Mukul Sangma being part of Congress, definitely we have to accept him. It’s not about Dr Mukul or anybody, it’s about the party in Delhi itself.”
His remarks come against the backdrop of heightened political buzz following reports that senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has urged TMC chief Mamata Banerjee to work closely with the Congress and strengthen Opposition unity against the BJP. The discussions reportedly gained momentum after a recent meeting of INDIA bloc leaders in New Delhi, where alliance partners stressed the need for greater coordination among Opposition parties.
Describing the developments as recent and still unfolding, Saleng Sangma said, “This is the recent development, we don’t know yet because I have not been to Delhi.”
Political circles have also been abuzz with speculation over the future course of the TMC amid reports of internal dissent and defections. Mamata Banerjee’s prolonged stay in New Delhi, her nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi, and her interaction with Sonia Gandhi have fuelled discussions over whether the two parties could move towards closer political cooperation. Sources, however, indicated that the emphasis remained on strengthening Opposition coordination within the INDIA bloc and mounting a united challenge to the BJP rather than exploring any formal merger between the Congress and the TMC.
On developments within the TMC, Saleng Sangma declined to comment, saying, “TMC is there in Meghalaya, as it is there in West Bengal, just because West Bengal having difference within themselves , I cannot talk on behalf of TMC.”
The developments have nevertheless revived debate over the possibility of Mamata Banerjee’s political “ghar wapsi” nearly three decades after she parted ways with the Congress. Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1997 after quitting the Congress, and the latest round of engagement between the two parties has once again triggered questions about the future trajectory of Opposition politics and its implications for States such as Meghalaya.
