The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is witnessing a steep decline in Meghalaya’s Khasi and Jaintia Hills, with its influence rapidly fading. Once considered a rising force in the state, the party now faces an existential crisis as its voter base erodes.
TMC Meghalaya President and Nongthymmai legislator Charles Pyngrope has openly acknowledged the party’s waning presence, admitting that its voter share in the region has dwindled to near irrelevance. Reflecting on the 2023 election results, he conceded that the Khasi and Jaintia electorate had not backed TMC.
Asked about TMC’s future, particularly in light of defections to Congress and other parties, Pyngrope was doubtful about the party’s ability to sustain itself. “It’ll be very difficult because for a party to sustain, it needs good leaders. But even in the absence of good leaders, obviously, to build a party will be a Herculean task. So I would say that,” he remarked, but declined to comment on whether he would rejoin Congress.
Despite TMC’s struggles, Pyngrope defended his own political standing, asserting that his victory from Nongthymmai demonstrated the faith voters still had in him. “I personally don’t feel that every election has to be fought on a certain platform with certain policies which you have, firstly for your constituency and the state you have in whichever capacity you are. I proved I could win from TMC ticket from Nongthymmai, although there were more people against me than for me because of my switch, but I won. I was the only one in Khasi Jaintia Hills out of 36 constituencies from TMC, which means people still have faith and confidence in me. But I don’t think I can carry their faith and confidence much further if I cannot build this party TMC before the elections.”
On whether he intends to revive TMC in Meghalaya, Pyngrope admitted to struggling with the task. “Well, I am trying, but I have not been very successful at it because, to be very honest, without being biased or racist, the TMC is perceived as a Bengali party before the elections, and after the elections, it has become worse. So you will not get the support of the Khasi and Jaintia people, and the Bengalis call it a Muslim party. This is the feedback I have got. They should never say that. It should never be said in politics. In politics, we are in a secular country, but under those circumstances, for me to build a party, who do I look to?”
As Meghalaya’s political landscape shifts, TMC’s relevance in the state hangs in the balance. With its influence dwindling and internal challenges mounting, the road ahead for the party remains uncertain.