National People’s Party (NPP) has won 17 seats so far in the 59-seat Meghalaya assembly election, according to the report published on the website of the Election Commission of India (ECI), after the counting of voting began on Thursday, March 2nd.
All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Indian National Congress (INC) have won three and four seats respectively. Hill State’s People’s Democratic Party has marked a significant stride and bagged two seats apiece, whereas Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the former ally of NPP, has failed miserably even after its much-discussed campaign in the state and bagged only two seats so far. On the other hand, the main opposition party, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has become the second-largest party after winning ten seats. The ECI has declared the election result of 45 seats so far, but the trend shows that the people of Meghalaya are going to witness a hung assembly as no party is likely to get the absolute majority. However, as per the trend, NPP is likely to become the largest party in the state with 25 seats.
NPP chief Conrad Sangma has won the South Tura constituency, whereas his brother James Pangsang Sangma has lost in the Dadenggre constituency to his nearest rival Rupa M Marak of AITC. Meghalaya AITC chief and erstwhile chief minister Mukul Sangma is leading in Songsak by a slender margin, whereas his brother, Zenith has lost. On the other hand, in a significant setback to the BJP, the state BJP chief Ernest Mawrie lost the election.
Earlier, the ECI announced that there was no re-poll demand in Meghalaya and Nagaland.
