Mamata leaves Meghalaya after sounding TMC’s poll bugle

Shillong, Dec. 14 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday left for her home state after sounding the poll bugle in election-bound Meghalaya.

The TMC became the main opposition party in the 60-member House here by virtue of the defection of the 12 of 17 MLAs of the Congress, including former chief minister Mukul Sangma and former speaker Charles Pyngrope. However, one of the 12 resigned from the assembly and also from the party last month.

“Her (Mamata) visit to Shillong has ignited the minds of the people of the state, including women and the youths, who want to throw out a corrupt regime . We are leaving no stone unturned to let their dreams happen,” a senior party leader told PTI.

The TMC is trying to make its presence felt at the national level and is hoping to earn enough seats in Meghalaya where Assembly polls are due early next year.

Accompanied by TMC national general secretary and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee reached here on Monday.

“Didi has announced a series of schemes for women and for the poor people of Meghalaya. We will share with the people the same aspirations our party has for them if voted to power,” he said.

Banerjee is referred to as Didi’ or elder sister in her home state.

She addressed a TMC workers’ convention here to boost their morale ahead of the assembly elections, besides attending a pre-Christmas celebration programme on Tuesday.

Harping on the BJP, she had accused the BJP government at the Centre to have neglected Meghalaya and other northeastern states. Banerjee also distributed Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the of those killed in clashes in Mukhroh village along the Assam-Meghalaya border last month.

“Guided by our progressive vision, we promise to empower the women, uplift the youth, and uphold the vibrant culture. We promise to bring a credible change for the people of Meghalaya,” she had said.

Claiming that Meghalaya is being ruled by proxy, Banerjee said it is not the intention of the TMC to capture power in the state and rule from Kolkata.

“Why are they ruling from Guwahati or Delhi? We assure the people of the hill state that (a) son of the soil will rule Meghalaya, and not any outsider… We will ensure that we bring change and the hill state prospers… Let us walk together on the path of progress; why divide people based on caste and religion?” she had said.

The TMC supremo also promised a financial inclusion scheme under which a direct transfer of Rs 1,000 per month will be made to woman in every household of Meghalaya, similar to that of West Bengal’s ‘Lakhsmir Bhandar’ scheme.

Stating that women in Meghalaya have suffered enough, she also talked about other women-centric schemes launched by the West Bengal government.

Banerjee attacked the BJP and its ally NPP in Meghalaya for “failing to provide” jobs to the next of kin of the victims of Mukroh violence besides providing them compensation.

She said, “Five people were killed in Mukroh. There has been no response from the state government. The Meghalaya CM did not even bother to meet the victims’ family members.”

Violence had broken out at Mukroh village near the disputed border between Assam and Meghalaya in November after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam.

The TMC is also trying to make its presence felt in Tripura and Assam. The party had also contested the assembly election in Manipur in 2012.

While Meghalaya is being governed by a coalition of NPP, BJP and others, the saffron party-headed groupings are ruling Assam and Tripura.