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The Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) is likely to form the next coalition government in Meghalaya, with the support of the BJP and a few other legislators, even as the Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP), whose two newly elected MLAs Conrad had listed in the support letter of 32 he had submitted to the Governor earlier on Friday, “withdrew” support later.
Late Friday evening, the HSPDP issued a statement saying the party had not “authorised” its two MLAs to “lend support” to the government formation.
In a letter to Conrad, HSPDP president K P Pangniang wrote, “The party has no role in this affair and, therefore, we withdraw our support to your party with effect from Friday.”
While Conrad did not issue a statement reacting to that until 10 pm Friday, sources in his party told The Indian Express that the HSPDP MLAs were “still with NPP”.
But even in the event the two HSPDP MLAs withdraw support, the NPP still seems to have a majority in the House. Fifty-nine Assembly seats had gone to the polls on February 27, with the election to the 60th seat, Sohiong, postponed after the death of a candidate.
On Thursday, even as the results threw up a fractured mandate, Conrad’s NPP had emerged as the single-largest party with 26 seats. Hours after the results, BJP, with two MLAs, extended its support to NPP.
Earlier, on Friday morning, Conrad submitted his resignation and staked a claim to form a new government. The NPP chief told the media that he had “sufficient numbers”, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be invited to the swearing-in ceremony.
Later, another Independent MLA, Kartush R Marak, who won from Baghmara constituency in Garo Hills, threw his weight behind the NPP.
While it was all but certain that NPP would form the government, there was a flutter of sorts in the state on Friday afternoon when the TMC’s Mukul Sangma claimed that his party was in talks with the United Democratic Party (UDP), a constituent of the previous NPP-led ruling alliance, and other smaller parties to form an alternative non-BJP, non- NPP coalition.
Winning 11 seats, UDP emerged as the second-largest party on Thursday.
The TMC and the Congress got five seats each, the newly formed Voice of the People Party got four, and the People’s Democratic Front won two. These parties, including HSPDP, met at the residence of outgoing state Home minister and UDP legislator Lahkmen Rymbui on Friday.
Mukul told the media in Shillong that “numbers are there” for a non-NPP government.
Right after that, Conrad submitted the letter of support with the signatures of 32 MLAs to Governor Phagu Chauhan and announced the support of HSPDP and another Independent MLA.
Mukul, however, insisted that “other events would unfold.” He told reporters, “Certain things will be further discussed…when we submit our claim, you will understand that other events will unfold. Don’t worry about numbers; we know how to get the numbers.”
