Meghalaya: Conrad Sangma to be sworn in as CM for a second term on March 7

Conrad Sangma will be sworn in for his second term as Chief Minister of Meghalaya on Tuesday at a ceremony that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend, officials said.

Mr Sangma, who has patched up with the BJP after a pre-election split, claimed that he has an “absolute majority with 32 MLAs” on his side in the 60-member assembly but refused to give details of supporting parties.

The chief of the National People’s Party (NPP) submitted his resignation letter to Governor Phagu Chauhan on Friday and has staked claim to form the new government in the state.

The NPP emerged as the single-largest party in Meghalaya on Thursday, winning 26 seats out of the 59 constituencies that went to vote on February 27.

The United Democratic Party (UDP), which was the NPP’s ally in the last government, emerged as the second-largest party, winning 11 constituencies. It won only six seats in the 2018 polls.

The Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won five seats each, while the BJP secured two assembly segments.

According to reports, a total of 29 newly elected Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) along with Mr Sangma were present at Raj Bhawan, out of which 26 MLAs are from NPP, two MLAs from BJP, and one Independent MLA.

Earlier on Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma tweeted that Conrad Sangma had called Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking support to form a government in the state and his request was met without delay.

Mr Sarma said that BJP national president JP Nadda advised the state unit of the party to support the National People’s Party in forming the next government in Meghalaya.

The Congress, which won just five seats, termed the renewed tie-up a “paradox”, noting that the BJP’s central leadership had described Mr Sangma government as one of the “most corrupt” in the country.

Congress MLA Ronny V Lyngdoh, who won from the Mylliem assembly constituency, said the opposition will continue to work with “like-minded” parties despite facing a defeat.

“There lies the paradox. Union Home Minister Amit Shah says that this (NPP) is the most corrupt government. How can they work with the same party?” Mr Lyngdoh told news agency PTI.

Addressing an election rally in North Tura constituency, Mr Shah had on February 16 said the BJP broke its alliance with the NPP before the elections in Meghalaya so that it could contest all the assembly seats and emerge stronger.