No irregularity in Congress MLAs joining TMC, says Meghalaya speaker Lyngdoh

Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh on Thursday said he is examining the letter written by 12 of the 17 Congress MLAs of the state informing him that they have joined the Trinamool Congress, and there is no irregularity in the matter.

Lyngdoh said he has also received another letter from TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee who recognised the 12 legislators as members of his party.

“I have received their letter and I am examining it. Whatever needs to be done will be done at the earliest,” Lyngdoh told journalists here.

Also Read | Big blow to Congress as 12 Meghalaya MLAs join TMC

Leader of the opposition and former chief minister Mukul Sangma, ex-Assembly speaker Charles Pyngrope and 10 other legislators on Thursday announced the decision to shift their allegiance to the TMC, the party led by Mamata Banerjee. The desertion of the 12 Congress MLAs made the TMC the main opposition party in Meghalaya where it was a non-entity.

The breakaway group had on Wednesday submitted a list of MLAs crossing over to the TMC to the Speaker and informed him about their decision. All the 12 MLAs who were signatories to the letter met Lyngdoh for personal verification on Thursday.

Also Read | What led Mukul Sangma, 11 other Congress Meghalaya MLAs to move to TMC?

The Speaker ruled out any illegality in their joining the TMC.

“They are qualified (to join), there is no doubt about it... I need some time to examine the matter and communicate to them,” he said.

Lyngdoh said he had received two letters - one from the Congress MLAs and another from the TMC.

“The second letter was from All India general secretary of the TMC Avishek Banerjee who has welcomed them (the breakaway Congress MLAs) and recognised them as members of the TMC,” he said.

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