In a big jolt to the Congress party in Meghalaya, 12 of its 18 MLAs in the state have joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC), according to sources.
Following this move, TMC is now the principal opposition party in Meghalaya.
The leaders who switched parties included former chief minister Mukul Sangma. Sangma, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, was reportedly unhappy with the Congress's top leadership.
A senior leader of the TMC said with the new MLAs, the Trinamool Congress has become the principal opposition party in the state.
Sources said that with an eye on the Meghalaya polls in 2023, team members of poll strategist Prashant Kishor are in Shillong to weigh in on TMC's options in the state.
In 2012, the Meghalaya Pradesh Trinamool Congress was formally launched with an intention to contest 35 of the state's 60 seats.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital and urged the latter to withdraw the decision to extend the territorial jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress supremo also invited the Prime Minister to inaugurate the Bengal Global Business Summit scheduled in April next year.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently extended the jurisdiction of BSF up to 50 km inside the international borders in West Bengal, Punjab and Assam. The West Bengal Assembly had on November 16 passed a resolution against the Centre's decision, becoming the second state after Punjab to oppose the move in the state legislature.
"I have told the Prime Minister that there is no need to increase the territorial jurisdiction of BSF, because it will come in direct conflict with the law and order of the state. Recently, the BSF killed three people and there are several cases when the BSF troopers opened fire on the villagers. I have told the Prime Minister that if they (BSF) need any help, we are ready to provide it, but the Centre must withdraw the extension of the territorial area of BSF," Banerjee told the media after the meeting.
(With PTI inputs)
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