Shillong, Nov 12: Congress Working President Deborah Marak on Wednesday revealed that several leaders, including some from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), are set to join the Congress soon.
“There are many, they are joining one by one. So, we are getting ready. There are certain things in politics we must keep secretly. When the time comes, we will tell you,” Marak told reporters.
When asked specifically about the TMC MDCs’ entry into the Congress, she replied, “You know they are on the way, maybe they are reaching very soon.”
Asked about possible defections from the National People’s Party (NPP), Marak said, “We don’t know yet.”
Meanwhile, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Secretary Manuel Badwar said the party is gearing up for the upcoming Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
“The mood of the public at large is definitely coming for us, which means that the Congress will revive. No matter how much people criticize, no matter how much people talk against the party, the public is showing a tangent altogether; it is moving in a different direction,” Badwar stated.
He, however, stressed that while many are eager to join, the party will be selective. “It doesn’t mean everybody will join or will be allowed to join. We have to filter depending on the kind of people joining and whether they are opportunistic in nature or they are joining because they firmly believe,” he said.
Badwar cited the recent induction of Zenith Sangma as an example, saying, “Zenith Sangma joined out of his own will and still has love for the party; such personalities should be considered. It is a case-to-case approach.”
Marak reiterated that the Congress maintains an open-door policy for newcomers. “Whoever is joining from other political parties, we never say no to them. They are joining without any condition. They want to strengthen the Congress party in Garo Hills once again, and with that intention they are all coming,” she said.
When asked about former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Marak declined to comment, saying, “Let us not go there.”
