Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma, who is also the TMC Legislative Party Leader in Meghalaya, has described the impending defection of three Trinamool Congress (TMC) members of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) as another instance of political poaching, accusing the ruling party of using inducements to weaken rival political formations ahead of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections scheduled to be held early next year. The TMC is set to suffer another political setback in the Garo Hills, with three sitting MDCs, including Cherak W. Momin, considered close to Sangma and regarded as his political protégé, preparing to join the NPP on November 4 in Shillong, ahead of the council elections.
NPP national president and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has confirmed their entry, naming Cherak W. Momin of Kharkutta, Agassi R. Marak of Balachanda and Alphonsush R. Marak of the 29-Williamnagar constituency. “Yes…We will be having three of these sitting MDCs from the TMC for joining us on the 4th November,” Conrad said.
Asked about the departure of the three MDCs, particularly Cherak W. Momin’s move despite his close political association with the former Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma said personal relationships did not necessarily translate into political loyalty when individuals faced pressure and inducements. “Everybody’s close to me, whoever we’re with me together,” he said.
Elaborating on the circumstances behind political defections, Dr Sangma added, “But then, not everybody can withstand the onslaught of a situation and circumstances, when probably they have to insulate themselves from all kinds of inducement. Some can withstand and some cannot, I have seen it all through the years.”
He subsequently attributed their departure to what he described as an organised political exercise, saying, “Therefore, they have fallen victim to the poaching exercise.”
Cherak’s impending induction is particularly significant given his close association with Mukul Sangma, who is regarded as his political mentor. Sources said the NPP had been keen to bring him into its fold and was considering him as a potential candidate for the Kharkutta Assembly constituency in the 2028 elections, currently represented by NPP legislator Rupert Momin. His entry could therefore have implications for the party’s electoral calculations in the constituency. Cherak and Alphonsush are also members of the NPP-led GHADC Executive Committee, with sources indicating that Cherak could be assigned a larger role in the council’s executive leadership following the next council elections.
However, Mukul Sangma alleged that the defections were part of the NPP leadership’s desperation to consolidate its political position. “These poaching exercise of NPP and NPP leadership is, as I have said, nothing but the manifestation of their desperation to position themselves in such a way so that they can still somehow position themselves and stretegise themselves for the electoral battle in 2028, nothing else, but as I have said despite all that unhealthy, unethical exercise,” the TMC Legislative Party Leader said.
Maintaining that such political manoeuvres would not determine Meghalaya’s electoral future, he said the people had already begun deciding the mandate they would deliver to shape the state’s future. “What is going to happen is that the people of the state of Meghalaya have already planned already decided as to how they should decide for the future course of mandate that they would have to give for the purpose of building this beautiful state, restore revive the glory, the past glory of the state,” he added.
