The Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Meghalaya carries different views when it comes to the legal implications surrounding the recent merger of three Congress MLAs with the ruling National People’s Party (NPP). While TMC Legislature Party leader Mukul Sangma has raised concerns about the legal validity of the merger, TMC State President Charles Pyngrope has expressed a contrasting viewpoint, suggesting that the merger falls within legal boundaries.
In a conversation with Meghalaya News 24, Pyngrope stated, “Any political party which has two-thirds of its members wanting to merge with another political party, that is constitutionally correct. Therefore, I will not call it a defection; I will call it a merger, and that is allowed.”
When questioned about the suspension of two of the MLAs involved in the merger, Pyngrope responded, “How do you interpret suspension, disqualification, and merger? That is for the court to decide. In my opinion, a member who is suspended from the party doesn’t necessarily lose their status as an MLA. They still remain a member of the house, and if they fulfill the requirements laid down by the 10th Schedule of the Anti-Defection Act, which says if two-thirds want to merge, how do we not allow it? How does the Speaker reject it?”
He further emphasized that if there is a difference of opinion on this matter, the aggrieved political party has the option to approach the court of law and appeal to the Speaker for disqualification of the members involved. “That means disqualify them as members of the house because they have violated the Anti-Defection Act. What happens between Congress and NPP is not my concern; that is a matter they have to handle themselves,” Pyngrope added