Former Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma on Thursday said that the decision to leave the Congress was a conscious call and it was taken in the interest of "duty and responsibility".
"A complete sense of commitment towards serving the people has brought us to take this decision. In 2018 Assembly elections, we were confident of forming government but we could not. Again, post-poll there were activities to poach our members," Sangma said.
Sangma further added that there is a need for a strong, pan-India, political alternative.
He alleged that the Congress has failed to respond to this call.
In a massive jolt to the opposition Congress in Meghalaya, 12 of its 17 MLAs led by former chief minister Mukul Sangma joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.
With the latest political development, despite not winning any seat in the 2018 Assembly elections to the 60-member assembly, the Trinamool Congress became the main opposition party in Meghalaya house.
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