After 12 of 17 Congress MLAs in Meghalaya joined the Trinamool Congress, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on November 25 challenged that the TMC to make them contest on the party's ticket. He said, “This conspiracy to break Congress is happening not only in Meghalaya, but whole northeast. I challenge CM Mamata Banerjee to first elect them on TMC's symbol and then formally welcome them to her party.”