Sat Feb 08 03:33:04 UTC 2025: **Meghalaya’s TMC to Skip Tribal Council Elections**

**Guwahati, February 8, 2025** – The Trinamool Congress (TMC), the largest opposition party in Meghalaya, has announced it will not participate in the upcoming elections for the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Councils, scheduled for February 21st.

Senior TMC leader and former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma cited “ground realities” as the reason for the party’s decision. He stated the party’s focus is on strengthening its grassroots presence rather than contesting the district council elections.

The TMC holds five seats in the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. While all other parties, including those in the ruling coalition led by the National People’s Party, are contesting the tribal council polls, the TMC’s absence is notable. The party, which gained a foothold in Meghalaya in November 2021 after twelve Congress MLAs joined its ranks, holds a stronger base in the Garo Hills region than in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Its performance in the 2023 Assembly elections resulted in only five seats. Meghalaya is strategically important for the TMC, which is in power in West Bengal.

Read More