‘Just wait and watch’: NPP’s Conrad Sangma stakes claim to form Meghalaya govt
Meghalaya: The NPP, founded by Conrad Sangma’s father and former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma in 2013, won 26 seats on its own.
GUWAHATI: A day after the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) emerged as the single largest party, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma on Friday submitted his resignation to governor Phagu Chauhan and staked claim to form the next government.
“We have asked the governor to invite NPP, which is the single largest party, to form the government. We have been extended support by several MLAs including two from Bharatiya Janata Party and an Independent MLA from Baghmara,” the 45-year-old NPP president said after his meeting with the governor.
Sangma was accompanied by several NPP legislators, two BJP legislators, Shanbor Shullai and AL Hek, and Kartush R Marak, the Independent legislator from Baghmara, who have pledged support to an NPP-led coalition government. Their support implies that the NPP is just two seats short of the majority mark of 31 in the 60-member assembly.
The NPP, founded by Conrad Sangma’s father and former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma in 2013, won 26 seats on its own.
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Sangma said he will get support from other parties as well but didn’t elaborate.
There is speculation that Sangma may opt to take support from Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Peoples’ Democratic Front, the two regional parties which won two seats each. HSPDP was part of the previous government as well.
People aware of the matter said Sangma may not take the help of the United Democratic Party (UDP), which was part of the outgoing government as well. The UDP secured 11 seats and is the second-largest party in the assembly after NPP.
Sangma declined to comment.
“We will sit with the other parties who have extended support and discuss with them before taking any decision. I don’t want to give all details now. Just wait and watch,” he added.
Sangma said he hadn’t decided on the date for his oath ceremony and will take a call only after getting confirmation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah who have expressed a desire to attend the ceremony.