TURA, Nov 8: The big question on everyone’s mind is whether former chief minister and Trinamool leader Mukul Sangma will contest from Tikrikilla seat in West Garo Hills, leaving Ampati for his daughter and sitting legislator Miani D Shira, and retaining Songsak for himself.

The first indications towards this story was broken by a political news journalist from Garo Hills in a leading newspaper of the state called The Meghalayan published two weeks ago.

The daily had quoted party sources to mention that the former chief minister was aiming to once again contest from two seats to increase the party tally in next year’s assembly polls.

That seems to be coming true after a high profile visit to Tikrikilla on Monday by Mukul Sangma.

He not only inaugurated the Trinamool Congress office but also gave an emotive speech trying to connect with the masses and pointing to supporters of his family’s connection to the teaching profession.

His speech, at times turning emotional when “recalling his humble beginnings”, mentioned about the hardships faced by teachers and said that he too hailed from a teaching family.

“I am also the son of a teacher who got a negligible salary. Everyone knew my father as ‘master babu’. I know the agony personally when you are born into a poor family,” he said.

The move to strike a chord with the electorate at the rally was not lost on anyone.

Tikrikilla is a constituency where there is no heavyweight politician, besides sitting MLA Jimmy D Sangma.

The constituency has a strong supporter base for the BJP but has gone towards the congress in the last election when the electorate voted in Jimmy Sangma.

Jimmy Sangma’s defection to the NPP has left the Trinamool chair empty and in need of a leader.

If a contest does indeed take place with Mukul Sangma in the game, and a victory comes about, it would definitely shore up the trinamool numbers on counting day. It would also send a strong message to defectors who abandon ship.

But these are only “Ifs” and “Buts” at the moment.