Major Boost for Meghalaya Congress in Garo Hills: Ex-MLA John Leslee Sangma Returns Home

Tura: In a significant shot in the arm for the opposition MeghalayaCongress ahead of future electoral battles in Garo Hills, former South Tura MLA John Leslee K Sangma officially rejoined the party.

The prominent Garo leader was warmly welcomed back into the Congress fold by Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Vincent H. Pala at a simple function held in Tura. Working president Deborah C. Marak and several senior leaders were also present.

John Leslee had briefly switched to the United Democratic Party (UDP) after the 2018 assembly polls but maintained that his ideological home always remained with the Congress. Party sources said intensive parleys had been underway for months to facilitate his return.

Speaking on the occasion, the former legislator voiced deep concern over the deteriorating socio-economic situation in Garo Hills, particularly the acute unemployment crisis affecting the youth.

“I have personally witnessed the frustration and hopelessness among our young generation. Opportunities are shrinking by the day while the present government appears clueless and indifferent. There is an urgent need for grassroots-level intervention,” Sangma said.

He described the Congress as the only secular, inclusive and people-oriented political platform that can safeguard tribal identity, restore public trust and put Meghalaya back on the path of equitable development.

Sangma pledged to work tirelessly to revive and strengthen the party’s organisational network in South Tura constituency and across the entire Garo Hills region.

Welcoming him, MPCC chief Vincent H. Pala said John Leslee’s homecoming delivers a clear message to the ruling BJP-NPP coalition, whose “divisive politics and neglect” have pushed Garo Hills into despair.

“His impeccable credibility, vast experience and strong grassroots connections will play a pivotal role in rejuvenating democratic forces in the region. The tide is clearly turning in favour of the Congress,” Pala asserted.

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