Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Recognises 12 Congress MLAs’ Merger With TMC
The Speaker also rejected a petition by the Congress to disqualify the lawmakers.
Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
(Photo: IANS)
Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh on Thursday, 23 December, recognised the merger of 12 Congress MLAs with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a month after the legislators led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma switched their alliance.
The Speaker also rejected a petition by the Congress to disqualify the lawmakers.
Another notification issued by Andrew Simons, Commissioner and Secretary of the Meghalaya Assembly, said the Speaker recognised all the 12 individuals as TMC members.
Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh had earlier said they have decided to support the National People's' Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government on the aspect of governance in the greater interest of the people of Meghalaya.
"The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has decided to focus on all the important agenda together with the government in the interest of the people," CLP leader Lyngdoh had said, adding that they had communicated their decision to the Chief Minister last week.
The BJP, along with two MLAs, and several other local parties are the partners of Meghalaya's MDA government headed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is also the president of the NPP, the dominant party of the MDA government.
TMC sources said that the party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee would visit Meghalaya after Christmas (25 December).
After this year's West Bengal assembly election success, Mamata Banerjee has been trying to expand her party's footprint beyond Bengal.
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