AICC summons Mukul Sangma to Delhi as crisis grows in Meghalaya Congress

Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has been summoned to the national capital, New Delhi, on Sunday by the Congress High Command. It is not yet clear who he will be meeting, but Sangma had earlier stated that he wants to meet the party's top leadership, hinting at the Gandhis.

Mukul Sangma, who is reportedly unhappy with the MPCC (Meghalaya Pradesh Congress) president Vincent Pala, has the support of around 14 legislators from the Garo Hills region, according to Republic Media Network's sources.

Meghalaya Congress crisis

Earlier, he met Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati, and the Trinamool Congress leadership in Kolkata, creating buss that he may switch to Bharatiya Janata Party or TMC. However, off record, he had stated that he would not join BJP or the TMC.

When asked if he was planning to quit the party, Sangma, speaking to reporters, said that the assumptions are too premature. He said that there are internal grievances in the Congress party and claimed that some of the party leaders have become the "victims of those grievances", referring to one senior member's exit before the bye-elections in three assembly seats.

The bye-elections in Mawryngkneng, Mawphlang and Rajabala will take place on October 30 and the results will be declared on November 2.

In the last assembly polls in 2018, Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The grand old party, however, could not gain support from regional parties following which the National People's Party (NPP) formed the government with the support of the People's Democratic Front, United Democratic Front and BJP. 

Congress leaders from Assam, Goa join TMC

Since Mamata Banerjee's takeover as West Bengal Chief Minister earlier this year, several Congress leaders have joined TMC. Recently, former Goa Chief Minister and Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro joined the Trinamool Congress in Kolkata. While leaving the grand old party, the veteran leader said that it was difficult for him to quit Congress but he did so to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party. Last month, ex-Congress MP Sushmita Dev also joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party.