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Amid heightened political speculation over the future of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Meghalaya and persistent rumours of possible defections and realignments ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections, Meghalaya TMC president and senior legislator Charles Pyngrope on Wednesday asserted that the party would take a considered call on its future political strategy only by the end of the year, after the scheduled Lok Sabha by-election for the Shillong Parliamentary seat, the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections and other key organisational developments unfold. Significantly, Pyngrope ruled out any immediate merger, alliance shift or exodus to rival political formations, saying the party leadership would undertake a comprehensive assessment of its organisational strength and electoral prospects before deciding its next course of action. He indicated that TMC Meghalaya would determine its political future by year-end, saying such a timeline would provide the party ample time before the 2028 Assembly elections to decide its course of action.
The remarks assume significance amid growing political chatter over the future of the Meghalaya unit of the TMC, recurring speculation surrounding possible defections and persistent rumours involving Leader of the Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma.
“There is no indication of TMC leaders merging with Congress or ruling NPP, we all have to when time is ripe which is postponed MP bye election to Look Sabha, post district council election in Garo Hills, then we can sit put our heads together and decide as to how to move forward. Obviously, at that time we will have to make a call but as of now there is no move by anybody to go to any political party. So any such move to take a call or any such move will be done only by year end because we have to do because that will give us ample time before next assembly elections in 2028 to decide course of action,” Pyngrope said.
Asked whether leaders could leave the party, Pyngrope suggested that political developments could work both ways and maintained that the possibility of new entrants could not be ruled out.
“Leaders may join also. The reason why I am giving you is you must remember in the state of Meghalaya, the only party which has a considerable strength and intellect to voice the view of the people in the parliament beside Congress is the TMC, wheather it is lok sabha or Rajya Sabha, we have enough MPs where are the other parties in the state that have MPs in parliament, no body. So if you look at from that angle, it is mainly the TMC that raises the voice of the people, views and concern. Even the inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the 8th Schedule of the constitution it was actually the TMC who raised it first in parliament,” he said.
Making a case for the party’s continued relevance, Pyngrope argued that the TMC remained one of the few political formations capable of amplifying Meghalaya’s concerns in Parliament through its national presence in both Houses. He also claimed that the demand for inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution was first raised in Parliament by the TMC.
On speculation surrounding Dr Mukul Sangma’s political future, Pyngrope dismissed the rumours as repetitive and unsubstantiated.
“I have heard of all these rumours since last year, has anything happened?” he said.
Asked hypothetically whether he would continue with the TMC if Dr Mukul Sangma were to float a separate political party, Pyngrope reaffirmed his commitment to the organisation and said he would remain with the party as long as he felt he could contribute meaningfully to its growth.
“I will not go as he is the member of TMC. Having switch to TMC for certain reasons, I will remain loyal to this party till such time I feel my worth in the party, I will not be able to contribute significantly for the growth of the party,” he said.
Responding to questions on whether the TMC’s setback in West Bengal had weakened the party’s standing in Meghalaya, Pyngrope maintained that electoral verdicts are influenced by a range of factors specific to individual States and should not be viewed as having a direct impact elsewhere.
“Now, we all understand that whenever an election takes place, there are many factors that it determine the outcome of that election. So, there are various factors in case of West Bengal where the election did not go in favour of TMC. So that we shall not go into depth as to what the factors were. That doesn’t mean that the party TMC has been compacted in the negative manner in other states, wherever it exists. So, in Meghalaya there is no impact of that to the, although Every election does you do feel a setback,” he said.
Pyngrope said he remained in regular contact with party leaders overseeing Meghalaya under the leadership of Abhishek Banerjee and intended to travel to Kolkata to discuss the future roadmap of the State unit with the national leadership.
“I am in touch with the person or the persons in charge of the state of Meghalaya, which are from the team under the leadership of Abhishek Banerjee. After the election I have not spoken Mamata Banerjee or Abhishek Banerjee in person, because lot of things are happening and I just wanted the dust to settle down. My intention is to visit Kolkata and seek an appointment with the leaders and discuss the further course of action of action,” The TMC Meghalaya Chief said.
Rejecting suggestions that the party’s central leadership had become disengaged from Meghalaya, Pyngrope maintained that communication with the Kolkata headquarters remained active and continuous.
“We are in constant touch because we have a office set up which is here and all discussions regarding the functioning of the office at times when we need to consult the headquarter in Kolkata this is happening. I was planning to visit this month but we have Rajya Sabha election, by 11 th we will know if it will be uncontested, so if I have time this month I will go this month otherwise in the first week of July,” he said.
On reports of internal divisions within the TMC, Pyngrope said Meghalaya had not experienced any fallout from developments in West Bengal and that the State unit remained unaffected by reports of factionalism.
“As of now we have not felt any of the reparation of what is happening in Kolkata wheather it is Party splitting or not I don’t have facts, but repecation I have not felt so far in Meghalaya,” Pyngrope said.
The Meghalaya TMC chief further revealed that the party would undertake a detailed organisational audit to ascertain its actual political footprint in constituencies across Khasi and Jaintia Hills where it contested the 2023 Assembly elections. He said the exercise would be carried out in consultation with Dr Mukul Sangma, party legislators and organisational leaders.
“TMC exist in some of the constituencies of khasi Jaintia Hills, but the question now we have to take a call on what is the actual strength of the existence of the party. Party exists but what is the strength of the party in the places where we are relevant, where we fought election in 2023, what is the percentage where we are still a force that can be reckoned with, that exercise that has to be undertaken to ascertain that. I have to discuss this with my Legislature party leader Dr Mukul Sangma and all the members who are MLAs and also those who are in the party. This call I wanted to take after the Lok Sabha bye election, but somehow I have been informed that the bye election may be deferred till the SIR is completed, which will only happen in November, so we have to wait till that time,” Pyngrope said.
Seeking to counter narratives of organisational decline, Pyngrope asserted that the party remained largely intact despite political shifts witnessed elsewhere and claimed that most of the party leaders who contested the 2023 elections continued to remain with the organisation.
“The members of Congress who left the party and joined NPP, I am talking about the legislators but TMC from Khasi Jaintia Hills I am the only member. Leaders have not left they are there in every constituency. TMC Meghalaya is intact where all the leaders who are there who fought the election and who did not come out successful, 80 percent of them are still,” he said.
Asked about former TMC leader Susmita Dev’s decision to join the BJP, Pyngrope described it as a personal political choice and declined to comment further.
“that’s her personal decision, I think she was member of parliament from Congress also, MP from TMC and now going to BJP, she should be asked the question,” he said.
