TURA:
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has witnessed a significant blow to its plan of a united show of strength after two candidates, one of them a former heavyweight legislator, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in being denied the party ticket in North Tura constituency.
Former Congress legislator Noverfield R Marak, and another party ticket aspirant Adamkid M Sangma joined the saffron camp together in the presence of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 12.
The two aspirants have been miffed by the TMC decision to field former MDC of GHADC Rupert M Sangma in North Tura constituency, a prestigious seat that is in the neighbourhood of chief minister Conrad K Sangma constituency of South Tura.
Noverfield Marak was an MLA of the congress from 2013-18 but was defeated by Thomas A Sangma of the NPP.
Adamkid Sangma had contested the previous assembly and GHADC elections, unsuccessfully.
The Trinamool had initially moved with the idea that if one of the three aspirants secured the party ticket, the others would back him up by campaigning and not contesting against the official party candidate.
The latest move by the two rebels appears to have put paid to the unity move of the opposition party.