5 Seats in Meghalaya, None in Tripura: What Northeast Verdict Means for TMC’s 2024 Tactics

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Party insiders say the Trinamool Congress did not expect much from Tripura but it had hoped for a better outcome in Meghalaya

With the Northeast assembly election results out on Thursday, the Trinamool Congress bagged five seats in Meghalaya while it drew a blank in Tripura.

Party insiders say the TMC did not expect much from Tripura but it had hoped for a better outcome in Meghalaya.

The Trinamool poached former chief minister Mukul Sangma along with 11 other Meghalaya MLAs in November 2021 from the Congress, which had 17 legislators at the time. This made the TMC the main opposition party in the state.

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The ruling party of West Bengal had expansion plans for Tripura too, and started off with huge momentum in 2021. In the run-up to the municipal polls in the state that year, the TMC was locked in a fierce tussle with the BJP and appeared to be a key emerging opposition force.

After the municipal polls though, the TMC appeared to lose the impetus, say observers, and while party chief Mamata Banerjee came for campaigning, the Trinamool did not have major expectations in Tripura.

The story of Meghalaya was different. The party’s internal survey projected over 12 seats in the bag. On counting day morning, the TMC was initially leading in around 10 constituencies but ultimately ended up with five.

After the results were out, Mamata Banerjee said, “I congratulate the people of Meghalaya. We just started six months ago and we have got 15% votes. It will help for our national party status. We are the principal opposition. Next time we will do better.”

Abhishek Banerjee, TMC national general secretary who has been overseeing the party’s national expansion efforts, took to Twitter.

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I humbly thank the electorate of Meghalaya for giving us so much love & recognizing our efforts.

Congratulations to the 5 elected AITC MLAs.

I also wish to thank each party worker across the state for putting in their hard work & dedication over the past year. (1/2)

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) March 2, 2023

I wish to reiterate our commitment towards the people of this beautiful hill state that we will continue to be a responsible opposition & keep working tirelessly to serve the people wholeheartedly in the times to come. (2/2)

— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) March 2, 2023

Observers say while Mukul Sangma was the “son of the soil” in Meghalaya, the campaigning by CM Conrad Sangma that branded the TMC as “outsider” — a moniker that Trinamool used for BJP in the 2021 West Bengal elections — seemed to have had an effect.

National convener of the BJP’s IT cell Amit Malviya tweeted a warning for Mamata Banerjee’s party.

BJP has retained Tripura despite a Left-Congress alliance and an ambitious TMC, which has drawn a blank and voted fewer (<1%) votes than NOTA! TMC had acquired 12 Congress MLAs in Meghalaya. The tally now stands reduced at 5. The NE has rejected Mamata Banerjee. WB will be next…

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 2, 2023

The TMC is working on a national strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Northeast verdict, say analysts, may give it some pause.