SHILLONG: The bitter experience of a regional coalition in Meghalaya a decade ago did not deter local leaders to shake hands once again in order to keep the Congress away from forming the government.
The regional politics in Meghalaya has come full circle since 2008. But this time it is the BJP that is knitting together the alliance fabric to help boost NPP’s chances of coming to power.
The NPP, which secured 19 seats, along with UDP (6), HSPDP (2), BJP (2) and PDF (4) have decided to form the new government but whether it will be able to complete its tenure remains the question.
In 2008, the NCP, UDP, HSPDP and some independents formed the government following a similar fractured mandate. Donkupar Roy was the chief minister of the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government.
MPA had the support of 31 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly and by June, it secured support from two additional Independent MLAs, which took the ruling party’s count to 33.
However, by March 2009, the allies started falling apart and Meghalaya was put under President’s Rule. Later, the government collapsed paving the way for the formation of another coalition government led by the Congress and UDP.
The tussle between two departments to implement the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme was reportedly one of the root causes for the collapse of the MPA government in 2009.
When asked about the tenability of the new coalition on Sunday, both UDP and NPP sounded optimistic about the new government completing its full tenure because “all are committed to work for the state”.
Senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, who played a crucial role in catapulting the Congress to power after the MPA disintegrated, is now helping the BJP to form a non-Congress government in Meghalaya.
The NPP, which has elected Conrad Sangma as its legislature party leader, had said several times during election rallies and to the media that the party would select its chief minister from the region that gets the maximum number of seats. Conrad had also said he would not be the chief minister if the party came to power.
Going by the claims, the NPP should choose its chief minister from Garo Hills where it has won 11 seats.
In the run-up to the election, many NPP leaders had projected Prestone Tynsong, the Congress turncoat, as the chief ministerial candidate of the party.
But the equation seems to be changing to ensure majority support for the NPP.