After poll hiatus, BJP back in NPP fold

SHILLONG, March 3: NPP and BJP are back together doing business after a brief hiatus during elections when BJP called Conrad Sangma’s MDA as ATM government. Conrad did not join issue but deflected it as election rhetoric.
Once the results were announced on Thursday, in a complete U-turn, BJP State president Ernest Mawrie rushed to Sangma’s place with a letter of support to an NPP-led government.
After the high octane campaign, BJP buried the hatchet, observers say, since it failed to improve its seat tally despite contesting all 60 seats. More importantly, NPP is a part of NDA in Delhi.
During the campaign, Congress and other political detractors had predicted that NPP and BJP would return to their friendly ways after the results are declared.
As a mark of their ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior BJP leaders are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony on March 7.
Sangma has claimed the support of 32 in a house of 59.