SHILLONG:
Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president, Vincent H Pala, on April 26, said that claims and counter-claims of legislators defecting to other parties in the run-up to any election is a common practice in the state and hence, he doesn’t pay any heed to them.
“People are crazy for money and promises and they will join any party for these reasons. Having said that, they can also jump ship if their agendas are not fulfilled,” the MPCC president, said.
Pala’s remark came as a reaction to a post made by All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader Mukul Sangma earlier in the day, in which he took to a popular micro-blogging website and claimed that several Congress leaders from all ranks will be joining Trinamool on April 27.
Denying the claim, Pala said that, on the contrary, it would be the AITC which will be losing its legislators to other parties.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sangma, brushing of Pala’s claim on April 25 that the 12 defected Congress MLAs, including him, will re-join the Grand Old Party ahead of the 2023 polls, the Leader of the Opposition took to Twitter and wrote, “Slowly but steadily INC leaders from all rank & file in Meghalaya & NE states will be leaving d grand old party – some INC leaders will formally join AITC on 27/4/22 (sic).”
Sangma further implied that the structure of the Congress party is in decline, and AITC is the “only beacon of hope” that people are reaching out to.
Notably, in the run up to the 2023 Assembly Elections, several legislators, leaders and workers of various political parties have already defected to other parties and are making headlines on a daily basis.