New Delhi: The post- poll situation in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly or for that matter Manipur or Goa cannot be compared to Karnataka since the Congress is not the single largest party in these states anymore and had no pre-poll or post-poll alliance with any party, central BJP sources said on Friday.
“Congress secured 21 seats in the February 27 Assembly election but it is 20 seats only as former chief minister Mukul Sangma had won from two seats. By now, the NPP after winning the Williamnagar seat, increased its tally by one to 20”, the sources said on condition of anonymity for obvious reasons.
Technically, both the NPP and the Congress have equal strength in the 60-member Assembly with by-election to the vacant Ampati seat scheduled for the end of this month, the sources said, adding, “There was neither any pre-poll nor any post-poll alliance of any party with the Congress which prevented it from even staking claim for formation of the government.”
“On the other hand, NPP was already a part of the BJP- led NDA Government at the Centre and regional parties tied up with it after the polls”, the sources said. The Governor has to be “satisfied” that the party or alliance can form a stable government, they pointed out.
The BJP and its supporting parties proved that the government would last in Meghalaya and even in Goa and Manipur. The same cannot be said about the Congress in any of these states including Karnataka, the Central leaders said.
The NPP, having securing 19 seats, was called to form the government with support from the United Democratic Party (6), the People’s Democratic Front (4), the Hills State People’s Democratic Party (2), the BJP (2), the NCP (1) and two Independents. Now the alliance’s tally has increased by one more with the addition of Williamnagar constituency.
The Congress, which emerged the single largest party in the February elections but was not invited to form the government, held statewide protests here on Friday and even forwarded a petition to Ram Nath Kovind urging the President to safeguard democratic principles and the sanctity of the Constitution.
