By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 7: Six MLAs of Meghalaya switched over to the National People’s Party (NPP) in the past two and a half years, raising suspicion about allurements.
However, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday outright dismissed such perception, stating that they joined the NPP purely from a development standpoint.
He countered the use of the term “lured” as misleading, asserting that the MLAs themselves had approached him expressing concern that their constituencies were being left behind in terms of progress.
According to Sangma, the legislators conveyed their frustration at being unable to regularly engage with him or be a part of key development discussions.
The Chief Minister said the MLAs reportedly felt excluded from the larger transformation happening in other parts of the state and they expressed a desire to see the same scale of progress in their own constituencies.
No political or conditional promises were made to them, he said, adding that the only assurance he gave was about development of their constituencies. The government was already committed to delivering across the board, he said.
He mentioned the creation of the Mawhati block, a long-standing demand finally addressed by his government.
He asked if granting such a block that benefitted thousands of residents by bringing administrative services closer is a political bait. He emphasised that the MLA concerned had not gained anything personally, but acted in the best interests of his people.
Sangma called for a shift in perspective, urging critics to stop framing development work as inducement. He described the government’s approach as one based on trust, confidence, and performance.
In his view, as other legislators observed tangible results on the ground, their belief in the government’s intentions naturally grew stronger. This growing trust, he said, was what encouraged more MLAs to align with the NPP—not coercion or material reward. Sangma refuted allegation that the anti-defection law had been flouted.
He said the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution lays out clear criteria under which defections or mergers can take place. Every MLA who joined the NPP, he said, had followed the required procedures and the Assembly Speaker gave his approval only after being fully satisfied that the law had been complied with.
He added that the law allows for merger, but only when specific conditions are met. In the case of the six MLAs, those conditions had been fulfilled, he said.
Therefore, any suggestion that the process made a mockery of the law was unfounded. The actions, he maintained, were legally sound and rooted in constitutional provisions, not political manipulation.