“Mamata Banerjee Sole Gravitating Force, More To Join”: Mukul Sangma

Kolkata: Terming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a “gravitating force”, Meghalaya Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma on Tuesday said, “that more people will join the movement against BJP under her leadership, which has made people believe that political dynamics in the country will change in the coming days.”

The two-time former Meghalaya chief minister, who is in Kolkata along with 11 other Congress MLAs  recently switched over to Mamata Banerjee’s party making it the opposition party in the northeastern state.

Addressing a press conference at the Trinamool headquarters, Sangma said that the entire Northeast wants a “true alternative” to the Congress that can sincerely take on the BJP and promote the interests of the people of the region, and “All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) chairperson (Mamata Banerjee) is the force they should gravitate to”.

He also said that the Meghalaya legislators’ decision to join the party was not an overnight decision and they had deliberated for long how to protect the interests of the people of the state, “which was not possible under the central Congress leadership”.

“It was a difficult decision (to join the TMC), but it was the need of the hour. Thousands of Congress workers across the country are anxious and want an alternative. Our decision was a reflection of their emotion. We want to do real work, and contribute to nation-building which is only possible under the leadership of the AITC chairperson in the present situation,” he said.

Noting that the people of Meghalaya have already supported the move of the 12 MLAs, Sangma said that people of the northeastern state already know ‘Didi” and Trinamool.

“In the next 45 days, you will see Trinamool Congress flags fluttering in all parts of our state,” Sangma said.

Mamata Banerjee had welcomed the 12 MLAs at her Kalighat residence on Monday in the presence of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.