Meghalaya: Four including one TMC MLA joins BJP amid Mamata Banerjee's visit to state

Four MLAs of poll-bound Meghalaya – HM Shangpliang, Samuel Sangma, Ferlin CA Sangma and Benedic Marak – joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of NEDA Convenor and Assam Chief Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on December 11 at BJP headquarters in New Delhi. National Spokesperson of the BJP, Sambit Patra was also present on the occasion.

Meghalaya goes to polls in 2023.

While Ferlin Sangma and Benedic Marak have switched over from the ruling NPP, HM Shangpliang belonged to the opposition TMC. Samuel Sangma was an Independent MLA of Baghmara Assembly constituency before joining the BJP.

This comes at a time when Bengal Chief Minister and party Chief Mamata Banerjee is in the state.
Earlier on December 13, the TMC Chief launched a scathing attack on the BJP and said that the party only knows how to misuse power and that TMC will make sure that it continue to be the voice of the masses in Meghalaya.  

She accused the BJP of dividing people based on their caste and religion and urged the people of Meghalaya to stick and walk together in their fight against the saffron party. 
The WEST Bengal Chief Minister also met the families of the victims of Mukroh firing incident. She said that it was her duty to stand by them in their time of grief and handed  over ex gratia cheques of  Rs. 5 lakhs to their kin.