Mamata starts two-day visit to poll-bound Meghalaya

Shillong: Months ahead of the assembly polls, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee began her two-day visit to Meghalaya on Monday to rejuvenate the party in the northeastern state.

Mamata Banerjee accompanied by her nephew and party's National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other leaders arrived in Shillong with a rousing welcome by the Trinamool Congress leaders and workers.

TMC's Meghalaya unit President Charles Pyngrope, Opposition Leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma, party leaders George Lyngdoh and Zenith Sangma received Mamata Banerjee at the airport. A TMC leader said that on Tuesday Mamata Banerjee would hold a party workers' convention at the U Soso Tham Auditorium in Shillong.

TMC leaders of the state, representatives of all district and block committees, members of women, Youth and Student fronts, and over hundreds of party workers and members would attend the convention.

On Tuesday evening, she would be attending Pre-Christmas celebrations with children from different orphanages, Tribal Headmen from Khasi and Jaintia Hills, eminent members from the civil society and prominent influential people of Meghalaya at the Windermere Resort in Shillong.

Mukul Sangma later said that they are very happy that the TMC Chairperson is in Meghalaya on her first ever visit to the hill state.

"All the foot soldiers from the party from nooks and corners of the state have got their chance to meet the Chairperson. They will have an opportunity to have an audience with her in the meeting," Sangma said.

As assembly elections in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura are expected to be held in February 2023, political parties and the Election Commission have started their activities in the three northeastern states.

Trinamool Congress' National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee visited Meghalaya last month and led a massive rally in Tura, second most important city in the hill state after capital Shillong.

Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma (2010-2018), along with 11 Congress MLAs joined the Trinamool Congress in November 2021, and now the party is the main opposition party in Meghalaya.

However, on November 28, Trinamool Congress MLA H.M Shangpliang submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker, Metbah Lyngdoh and he is likely to join the BJP.