Mendipathar, Jan 18: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said the decision to field Mukul Sangma from Tikrikilla, besides Songsak, was a collective decision of the party and the local leaders.
Speaking to the media persons, Banerjee said the party is confident of winning the seat. “Please understand that he (Mukul Sangma) is from Meghalaya. I am the chief minister of West Bengal and I can contest from two seats. I have done it too because the provision is there. So, he can also contest from two seats.”
In the 2018 Assembly elections too, Sangma contested from two seats, Songsak and Ampati, and won both.
Banerjee was on her maiden visit to Garo Hills on Wednesday. Her election campaign started in Mendipathar, one of the four Assembly constituencies in North Garo Hills.
Reacting to the state government’s comment that Trinamool Congress’s MYE card and WE card are “baki (credit) cards”, Banerjee said while the registration is done now, the scheme will start within 100 days of TMC forming the power if the party is voted to power. “This was what we did in West Bengal,” she added.
She reiterated that TMC does not bank on money power and follows the democratic way to win votes because “it is of the people, by the people and for the people”.
“BJP has spoiled the political ideology. It only wants to win with muscle, money and agency power… Politics is for sacrifice and working for people and the motherland. We are working for the motherland,” she said.
When pointed out that despite the state getting multiple chief ministers from Garo Hills, the region has been neglected for decades in terms of development, education and tourism, Banerjee said the road map for Garo Hills would be declared in the party manifesto.
On the education front, she said she could also advise the state to better the sector as her government has been implementing several educational schemes in West Bengal.
“When it comes to tourism, Garo Hills has some of the beautiful places in the state, but there is no vision (of the state leadership), no mission and no action,” she added.
