TMC, snubs Congress, fields Zenith Sangma from Meghalaya's Tura

Shillong The Opposition Trinamool Congress has selected former minister Zenith M Sangma as its candidate for the Tura parliamentary seat in south Meghalaya, which is currently held by the ruling National People's Party's Agatha K Sangma.

This move is seen as an indirect snub against the INDIA bloc member Congress, which had previously announced Saleng A Sangma as its candidate.

The decision effectively terminates any potential Congress-TMC alliance in Meghalaya, a state with only two parliamentary seats.

Zenith Sangma is the younger brother of former chief minister Mukul Sangma, who defected from the Congress and joined the TMC prior to the 2023 elections. However, Mukul Sangma lost his seat in the assembly elections.

Mukul Sangma expressed the party's frustration with the delay in reaching a seat-sharing agreement, saying, "We have waited long enough patiently.

There was an intent to have a single candidate from the INDIA bloc and aggregate our strength. The Congress is not grounded and announced candidates for Meghalaya last week."

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mukul Sangma secured 41.24 per cent of votes but lost to Agatha K Sangma, sister of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.