SUJIT CHAKRABORTY
The Trinamool Congress will form the government in Meghalaya after the Assembly elections in February next year, “mainly because of the allegations against Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma-led MDA government and also since the Congress in almost inactive in the state”, Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev told IANS during an interview.
Dev, the Rajya Sabha member of the Trinamool Congress, claimed that the MDA (Meghalaya Democratic Alliance) government has done nothing for the people of Meghalaya, and the Congress, which was once the main Opposition party, is now “non-existent” in the hill state.
“Trinamool Congress is the main opposition, and the only credible party in Meghalaya. It has already got unprecedented support in all the regions of the state… people are enthusiastic to bring the party to power. Our internal survey confirmed that Trinamool Congress will form the government in the state,” Dev told IANS.
The Congress is entirely inactive in Meghalaya, she claimed.
The Trinamool Congress became the main opposition party in Meghalaya after former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma (2010-2018), along with 11 Congress MLAs quit the party and joined the West Bengal-based party.
She said the Trinamool Congress would not contest in the Nagaland assembly polls but would field candidates in most of the 60 seats in Tripura.
“The political scenario in Nagaland is different from Tripura and Meghalaya. Our organisational base has become solid both in Tripura and Meghalaya and before the February assembly polls, it will be cemented further,” said Dev, who was the All India Mahila Congress chief before she quit the grand old party and joined the Trinamool Congress in August 2021.
Dev further said the party has no tall leader in Nagaland.
She refused to make any comments about the party’s possible alliance with Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) headed by former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman.
“We can’t disclose at the moment about any alliance (of the Trinamool Congress) with any party. If the Congress and CPI-M forge alliance, there would be further erosion among the Congress rank and file. Grassroots workers of Congress would not accept the Congress-CPI-M alliance as the Left cadres earlier unleashed atrocities on the Congress workers,” she said.
The Trinamool Congress leader said that the Congress and Left tie-up did not work in West Bengal and there is factionalism over the alliance.
Claiming that the people would not vote for the BJP, Dev said “Trinamool Congress, therefore, is the only alternative that could form the government after the Assembly elections in Tripura”.
“Except for the atrocities and terror against the Opposition parties’ workers, leaders and supporters, the BJP did nothing. People have also realised that they gave false promises before the 2018 assembly polls,” Dev, slamming the saffron party, said.
“If Trinamool Congress fails to form the government, the CPI-M and the Congress would also not be able to form the government… and in that case, the BJP would return to power,” she said while observing that her party is “not so strong” in the tribal dominated areas.
Dev, daughter of former Union Minister and Congress stalwart Santosh Mohan Dev, said that the BJP has “a lot of money” but does not have public support due to their extreme misgovernance in Tripura and other places.
“As per party supremo Mamata Banerjee, women would be given priority in candidates’ selection. However, winnability would be the first criteria,” she said.
(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
