SHILLONG, March 2: In a swift move, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will meet Governor Phagu Chauhan at 11.30 am on Friday to stake claim to form government laden with a letter of support from old ally BJP.
The combined strength of NPP and BJP is 28, which is still short of majority. With UDP yet to take a call on joining the coalition, the strategy is to woo smaller parties like HSPDP and PDF both of which have two seats each.
Earlier, BJP national general secretary Rituraj Sinha along with State party president Ernest Mawrie met Conrad at his residence here on Thursday evening to hand over letter of support. “We have submitted the support letter to form the government,” said Mawrie after coming out of the CM’s residence. Asked about the combination they are looking at, he said, “The combination we will see but from our end we have decided to support the NPP.”
NPP sources said that the party leaders are also having consultations with leaders of the PDF and HSPDP to join the NPP-led coalition.
These two parties were partners in the outgoing Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.
The UDP, which is now the second largest party in the state, having won 11 seats, is yet to take a call on joining the alliance.
Sangma had earlier held a meeting with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati after exit polls predicted a hung assembly in Meghalaya.
It may be recalled that TMC state president, Charles Pyngrope had made it clear that the party would not be partner of any government with NPP and BJP.
Senior Congress leader, Ronnie V. Lyngdoh who won from Mylliem seat said that the party MLAs is yet to meet to discuss on their next move. The Congress had also won in five seats.
PDF working president, Banteidor Lyngdoh who has retained the Mawkynrew seat, said that he is yet to discuss with party president, Gavin Miguel Mylliem (who won from Sohra) on their next move.
“We are yet to decide whether to sit in the opposition or be part of any government,” he said.
HSPDP general secretary, Panbor Ryntathiang said that the party is likely to meet on Friday since the two newly MLAs of the party are yet to reach Shillong.
“We will decide on our political future after discussing with the two MLAs,” Ryntathiang said.
VPP not to ally with NPP
The Voice of People’s Party (VPP), which sprang a surprise by securing four seats in its debut electoral contest, has ruled out working with the NPP.
“I don’t think we will be working with a party that has misgoverned the state in the last five years,” VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit categorically said after getting the better of the UDP’s Lambor Malngiang to wrest the Nongkrem seat by 4,187 votes.
Stating that the VPP’s victory underlined the people’s longing for change, he termed the performance of the party as satisfactory. The party had a short time to prepare for the polls, he pointed out.
The VPP had approached the elections with a promise to provide clean politics and a corruption-free government. Its policy of zero-tolerance for corrupt practices is the reason why it is not keen on working with the NPP, Basaiawmoit said.
He, however, said the party can work with the BJP provided it honours certain conditions.
Mukul remains parties of NPP’s corruption legacy
TMC parliamentary party leader, Mukul Sangma on Thursday reminded the political parties in the state that it is incumbent upon the leaders to either free the state from irregularities and corruption by coming together or allow the same people to take charge of the government once again.
“It is incumbent upon all the political parties to assume upon ourselves as political parties and elected representatives to see whether we want to again allow the same people to take the charge of the government and inflict upon the state irreversible damage and allow repetition of what the state has gone through in the past five years of innumerable instances off allegations,” Mukul said while speaking with The Shillong Times.
“Let us take a conscious decision to protect the interest of the state and do justice to the mandate of the people because as of now there is no decisive mandate given to any political party,” he said.
Talking about the outcome of the poll results, he said, “People have spoken and then as political parties we have seen the results…the mandate is there…it is a compound fractured mandated…no political party has a decisive mandate.”
On unconfirmed reports and speculations of him looking for greener pastures, Mukul said, “We can stay in the opposition and play a constructive role but if all the political parties want to come together and protect the interest of the state they must do so,” he added.
