Shillong April 24: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Meghalaya leader and Leader of the Opposition (LO) Dr Mukul Sangma has informed that the party will not have any pre-poll alliance with any political parties that are part of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) and is most likely to go solo in the upcoming 2023 Meghalaya Assembly polls.
After a party meeting on Saturday, Sangma said that the speculations circulating on the internet that the AITC has approached the United Democratic Party (UDP) are false and any political development at this stage are just uncertain. “Just like in the year 2018, some members from the opposite camp probably will be joining other political parties. At the outset, it might seem like nothing is clear, but we know exactly what is happening at ground zero,” he said.
“In Meghalaya, Trinamool will go alone in the polls. We will field candidates but AITC will not have alliance with any political parties who are part of this government,” he added.
Dr Sangma also claimed that over 72 to 75 percent of people of the state don’t want the MDA government to return to power in 2023. “Therefore, how will the AITC do justice to the aspirations of the people if we associate ourselves with any political party in the ruling dispensation? The point is to feel the pulse of the people and connect to it. We must understand why people have this feeling about this government and why they are expecting a change at the helm,” he said.
On asked, Dr Sangma said the AITC will not partner with his former party the Indian National Congress (INC) ahead of the elections. “We should all remember that the Congress is part and parcel of the government of the day, therefore, the AITC will not partner with any party in the ruling dispensation and that includes the Congress… Political parties which are part of the ruling dispensation have the baggage of their wrongdoings,” he said.
“We should not confuse the people. We must be able to give people a very clear choice; we should be very clear and not confuse the people and vitiate the political environment of the state. If the people choose to be with the ruling dispensation, at the end of the day the mandate will speak,” he added.
Dr Sangma further stated that the AITC is ready with a strategy in case of any eventuality – be it leaders leaving the party or joining them. “Some of the political parties are on an induction drive. I saw lots of media reports and that is why we are also formulating our own strategy. There will definitely be surprises and I will not rule out the possibility of leaders changing sides before the polls”.
