Meghalaya set for non-Congress govt as NPP's Conrad Sangma meets guv, stakes claim; oath-taking ceremony on 6 March

Meghalaya is set to get a non-Congress government with National People’s Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma meeting Governor Ganga Prasad in Shillong to stake his claim, ANI reported. Sangma has the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

NPP's Conrad Sangma met #Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form government. Oath ceremony to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am. pic.twitter.com/27NaL1UAwV

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

“We met the Governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs: 19 of the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent,” Sangma told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan in Shillong. The NPP leader is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) PA Sangma who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father’s death. BJP key strategy for North East Himanta Biswa Sarma told ANI Conrad Sangma will be the next Meghalaya chief minister. The coalition—Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA)—comprises the NPP, the UDP, HSPDP and the BJP. UDP president and RDA chairman Donkupar Roy earlier told reporters that his party agreed to lend support to the NPP, which secured 19 seats in the Assembly polls, on the condition that Conrad Sangma will be the chief minister once the NPP-led alliance forms the government. Sangma said on Saturday his party would be able to form the next government with the help of other like-minded parties. “We are hopeful that we will be able to form the government. People are fed up with the corrupt Congress government and looking for a change,” he told PTI. With inputs from PTI