Now that the Congress has got 21 MLAs after clinching the Ampati seat, there will be machinations galore to try and topple the NPP- led MDA Government and to form a coalition government at whatever the cost. The opposition Congress is today the single largest party in Meghalaya following the victory of Miani D Shira, daughter of former Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma who defeated the. NPP candidate Clement G Momin by 3191 votes. It’s not as if the results were unexpected. Mukul Sangma has nurtured Ampati since 1993 and the reason he vacated it and retained Songsak is because he was sure of winning it back for his daughter. It would take a while for the people to abandon a leader who has gone out of the way to bring development to Ampati often at the cost of other deserving constituencies.
Meghalaya has had a chequered history of political instability for several decades. It was the first to experiment with a coalition government. There has been infighting and leadership tussles in the Congress Party in the past which has led to change of chief ministers midstream. After what happened in Karnataka where the Congress and JD (S) have teamed up to form the Government after the BJP chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa resigned because he could not cobble up the numbers, the Meghalaya Congress too had started making noises that it would form the government if it wins the Ampati seat and becomes the party with the single largest majority.
The MDA Government comprises 20 MLAs of the NPP, 7 of the United Democratic Party, 4 MLAs of the Peoples Democratic Front, 2 each from the HSPDP and the BJP besides an MLA each of the NCP and 1 Independent. The question is whether the UDP with the largest number of MLAs will agree to rock the MDA boat and jump ship which looks like a remote possibility at this juncture. But the MDA has to get a grip on the law and order situation which seems rather tenuous at this point. One achievement of the Mukul Government was its ability to keep riotous elements in check. This is critical to keep Meghalaya on an even keel.