TURA, Jan 6: Former chief minister Mukul Sangma will be contesting from Tikrikilla and Songsak constituencies in the coming elections, as announced by the All India Trinamool Congress on Friday.

The move by the Trinamool Congress to field Mukul Sangma from two seats is aimed at consolidating the party’s tally of seats when results are declared in March.

HUB News was the first and only news media group in Garo Hills to break the story on Mukul Sangma contesting from two seats, as way back as two months ago.

Today’s confirmation by the first list of AITC candidates has proven it.

Mukul Sangma will be facing sitting MLA Jimmyson D Sangma in Tikrikilla. Jimmy had won on a Congress ticket but defected to the Trinamool along with Mukul Sangma and 10 others.

However, he switched from Trinamool to the NPP after his supporters urged him to abandon the West Bengal party citing ground assessment that indicated the momentum was with the ruling NPP side.

Mukul Sangma will also contest from his current seat of Songsak where he is facing a stiff challenge from the Congress candidate Champion R Sangma and NPP’s Nihim D Shira who lost to Mukul in the last election.

The first list of the AITC has 52 names of candidates and most of the Garo Hills candidates are sitting MDCs of GHADC who switched over to AITC after having been elected on Congress tickets.

Mukul Sangma’s daughter Miani D Shira will contest from her current constituency of Ampati, wife Dikkanchi D Shira will contest from Mahendraganj, and brother Zenith M Sangma from Rangsakona.

All the sitting MDCs who defected from Congress to Trinamool have been allotted party tickets.