The Meghalaya government formation after the declaration of the result of the assembly election on March 2nd has become dramatic of late. The Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) met governor Phagu Chauhan on Friday, March 2nd, and staked a claim to form a coalition government.
A hung assembly after the declaration of the result, Meghalaya witnessed both the belligerent blocs claiming to form a government. The 60-seat Meghalaya assembly had the result of 59 seats as the election in the Sohiong constituency was postponed.
In the election, NPP emerged as the single largest party with 26 seats. Initially, the NPP chief as well as the outgoing chief minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma got support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP). Both the BJP and HSPDP bagged two seats apiece in the election held on February 27th and took the tally of the proposed NPP-BJP-HSPDP alliance to 30. Later, two independent MLAs also lent their support to the NPP and made the tally 32.
After that, Conrad submitted his resignation to the governor and staked the claim for the Meghalaya government formation. However, the scenario changed soon and in an official statement, the HSPDP withdrew its support from the proposed NPP-led post-poll alliance.
Later, in a dramatic turn of events, the Meghalaya All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) chief Mukul Sangma said that the AITC was in talks with the United Democratic Party (UDP), an ally of the previous NPP-led alliance regarding the Meghalaya government formation. Mukul’s overtures to the UDP aimed for establishing an alternative non-NPP-BJP coalition with support from other parties like the Indian National Congress (INC), Voice of the People Party (VPP) etc.
Political analysts think that Conrad still has a favourable number for the Meghalaya government formation despite Mukul’s counterclaim.
