Meghalaya bypoll: Mamata Banerjee to campaign for Trinamool nominee

Shillong, Oct 25 (IANS) Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with other senior leaders would campaign for the party candidate in the upcoming by-election in Meghalaya's Gamberge assembly constituency, party sources said on Friday.

Trinamool Congress has fielded Sadhiarani Sangma as the party nominee in the Gamberge assembly constituency, where polling will be held on November 13. Sadhiarani is the wife of former Meghalaya minister Zenith M. Sangma.

Trinamool Congress sources said that besides Mamata Banerjee, party's National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Bengal Minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia, who is also the party's Meghalaya in-charge, would campaign for the party's candidate.

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) nominated Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma, wife of Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP's national President Conrad. K Sangma, in the seat.

Bernard N. Marak of the BJP and Jingjang M. Marak of the Congress also filed their nomination papers for the seat.

Gambegre seat in western Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district fell vacant after Congress MLA Saleng Ampang Sangma was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tura Parliamentary constituency.

BJP candidate Marak, who is also the sitting member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council and the party's Meghalaya unit Vice-President, said that the party during the campaign for the by-elections will highlight "the good and a corruption-free governance in the mountainous state".

The Trinamool Congress in August was recognised as an Opposition party in Meghalaya Assembly by Speaker Thomas A. Sangma while party leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was appointed as the Leader of Opposition (LoP).

The Trinamool Congress, headed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for the first time, out of the eight northeastern states, has been recognised as an opposition party, in Meghalaya Assembly.

The Trinamool Congress, which has five MLAs in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly earlier urged the Assembly Speaker to give the LoP post to the party as it is claiming the support of the lone Congress legislator in the house.

In the 2023 Assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress and the Congress had secured five seats each.

--IANS

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