Shillong: A day after the results of the assembly elections in Meghalaya, in which the ruling NPP emerged as the single largest party, MLAs of parties other than NPP and BJP held a meeting on Friday to decide the future course of action. next government in the state. The development came on a day when Chief Minister and National People’s Party chief Conrad Sangma staked claim to form the government. He met Governor Fagu Chauhan to stake his claim. The ruling NPP got 26 seats and was supported by the BJP with two MLAs.
Conrad Sangma handed over a letter of support signed by 32 MLAs from NPP, BJP, HSPDP and two independents to Meghalaya Governor Fagu Chauhan at Raj Bhavan on Friday evening. However, the HSPDP chief now claims that his party has withdrawn support. The state has 60 seats and 59 seats went to polls due to the death of a sitting candidate. The chief minister later said that he had a majority in the assembly.
On the other hand, United Democratic Party (UDP) chairman Metbah Lyngdoh also said that they have the support of 31 legislators and are “enough numbers” to form the government. “31 MLAs from UDP, TMC, Congress, PDF, HSPDP and one independent were present in the meeting and we have sufficient numbers,” he said. The parties meeting today include Trinamool Congress (TMC), Congress, United Democratic Party (UDP), People’s Democratic Front (PDF), Voice of the People Party (VPP) and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP).
Trinamool Congress leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma told ANI that the people of the state had given a fractured mandate and the result was to change the government in the state. He said he knows how to get the numbers and the name of the group’s alliance is yet to be decided.
“All parties were here except BJP and NPP. All parties are sensitive to the responsibilities assigned to us. We are aware of our responsibilities that come with the mandate. Some things will be discussed further and others when we present our claim. There will also be incidents.” To open Don’t worry about the numbers, we know how to get the numbers. Numbers can be claimed and counter-claimed. You have to go and see what is happening in each camp. The name of the alliance is yet to be decided but the resolve is to come together,” he told ANI.
He said the meeting discussed the need to come together to ensure that the state is not again subjected to misrule. He said, “The people of the state have given a fractured mandate. This mandate is for change…The rest of the political parties must understand that with this mandate comes the responsibility to come together and work for the larger good of the people.” Therefore, it was discussed in the meeting the need to come together and stand firm in our commitment to ensure that the State is never again subjected to such misrule and unprecedented plunder.”
Two HSPDP MLAs give their support to NPP, but the HSPDP leadership said that it had not authorized its MLAs to support NPP and the party has withdrawn the support.
Governor Chouhan has accepted the resignation of Conrad Sangma and requested him to continue in office till alternative arrangements are made. Earlier on Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma said that Conrad Sangma had called Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought his support to form the government in the state.
The United Democratic Party (UDP) won 11 seats in the results of the assembly elections announced on Thursday. The Congress won five seats. The Trinamool Congress, which fielded all Congress MLAs in the previous assembly, also got five seats. BJP, People’s Democratic Front and Hill State People’s Democratic Party got two seats each. The Voice of the People party got four seats. Independent candidates won two seats. The BJP and the NPP were partners in the previous government, but contested the assembly elections separately. In other assembly elections announced on Thursday, the BJP and its allies won comfortably in Tripura and Nagaland.