TMC an emerging challenger in Meghalaya politics: UDP working prez

Shillong: As more members join the All India Trinamool Congress in Meghalaya, almost wiping out the Congress, especially in Garo hills regions, United Democratic Party (UDP) working president Paul Lyngdoh said the TMC will have more bearing in the Garo hills.

Saying that politics is always individually-driven and personality-based, especially in the Khasi and Jaintia region, Lyngdoh said political parties do not have much of a space. The electorate elects individuals rather than political parties, he added.

“One thing remarkable about their (AITC) entry in Meghalaya is that it is seen as a vertical split within the Congress. The AITC was seen as an alternative to the BJP in the case of Meghalaya. The reality is that because of the split in the Congress, reducing it to a mere shadow of its presence, the AITC is now seen as an emerging challenger to win the power of politics in Meghalaya before the 2023 polls,” said Lyngdoh.

The UDP working president, who was popularly known as a founding member of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) party but later merged with UDP, shared his thoughts on the challenges of starting a political party.

Lyngdoh said that the first difficulty is to be on your feet and even more difficult is to make imprints. “So to that extent forming and sustaining a political party is not a walk in the park. It is a difficult task and my immediate reading is that the AITC will play a significant role in Garo Hills sector, especially with the Congress reduced to just 5 MLAs. Also, the emerging news of MDCs joining AITC… so the Congress will be wiped out at least in Garo Hills,” said Lyngdoh.

He also added that this will be an advantage for regional parties because of the infighting seen within the Congress.

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