West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit, in Shillong, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. (PTI)
Advertisement
Listen to this articleYour browser does not support the audio element.
While gearing up for the upcoming Panchayat polls in West Bengal where it has been ruling for the last three consecutive terms, the Trinamool Congress is keenly looking for expansion in the Northeastern states like Meghalaya and Tripura, which are bound for the Assembly elections early next year.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is currently on a three-day tour of Meghalaya – her first-ever visit to the state, where 12 of the total 17 Congress MLAs, led by former CM Mukul Sangma, had defected to the TMC in November 2021, making the latter the principal Opposition in the 60-member House. Mukul Sangma is currently the Leader of Opposition in the state ruled by the Conrad Sangma-led coalition government.
You have exhausted your monthly limit of free stories.
Read more stories for free with an Express account.
The TMC chief will hold meetings with the Meghalaya party leaders where she would set out a road map for the upcoming state Assembly polls.
Addressing a TMC workers’ convention in Shillong on Tuesday, Mamata said the BJP-led Centre has neglected Meghalaya and other Northeastern states. She also reportedly said the TMC wanted to assist the Meghalaya people and ensure that the state is “ruled by sons of the soil”.
Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal.
Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
