Guwahati: Leader of the National People’s Party (NPP) Conrad Sangma congratulated the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) for lending their support to the formation of a government in Meghalaya.
This comes hours after the UDP and PDF pledged their support to the NPP to form the government.
Taking to Twitter, Conrad Sangma said, “Thank you UDP and PDF for coming forward to join the NPP to form the Government. The strong support from homegrown political parties will further strengthen us to serve Meghalaya and its people.”
Notably, UDP received 11 seats while PDF received 2 seats in the recently held legislative elections. NPP alliance now holds 45 of the 60 seats in the assembly.
Conrad Sangma will take the oath of office to begin a second straight term as the chief minister of Meghalaya on March 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony which will take place at Raj Bhawan in Shillong.
According to information released by the Indian Election Commission on Thursday, Conrad Sangma defeated Bernard N. Marak of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the South Tura constituency by a margin of 5,016.
It’s interesting that the political development happened at the same time that KP Pangniang, the head of the Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) declared that he could form a government without the NPP or the BJP.
Earlier, at a news conference in Shillong, Pangniang stated that two HSPDP MLAs, Shakliar Warjri (Mawthadraishan) and Methodius Dkhar (Mawshynrut) had requested an action plan from the UDP-led coalition since the state’s citizens wanted a Khasi Chief Minister.
The UDP and five other parties were then urged by Pangniang to hold a discussion about how to establish a government in Meghalaya.
The HSPDP president stated that the party’s two lawmakers would not go against the wishes of the party and urged all other parties to put up a plan to form the government. If all went according to plan, they would then return and support the government without the NPP.
He contends that the lawmakers will back any administration led by a regional party and at least one of them must be in the cabinet.