Our Special Correspondent
TURA:
The much-anticipated political battle between the National People’s Party (NPP) and the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) for the 2023 elections seems to have already fizzled out with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma revealing that seven rebel AITC legislators have expressed interest to fight the polls on NPP ticket.
“I will not disclose their names due to the anti-defection law, but seven out of the 12 AITC MLAs have met me individually seeking to join the NPP and contest on the party ticket,” announced Conrad Sangma on the sidelines of a public programme organised to felicitate the chief minister by the party, at Rongjeng playground, on May 16.
The chief minister further revealed that this development took place within one month of the 12 former Congress legislators defecting to the AITC.
“This move to defect happened in less than one month after AITC was formed with them. Each of them met with me individually and said they want to leave the AITC and contest from the NPP,” reiterated Sangma.
He claimed that by the time the state goes to the polls next year, a maximum number of the Trinamool MLAs would no longer be with the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
The move may put up a difficult challenge to the NPP as, in view of the 2023 Assembly polls, the party too is preparing its own strategy with its candidates in mind.
“We cannot accommodate all the ticket seekers, since we also have our own candidates,” the chief minister added.