SHILLONG: The name Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) adopted by the NPP-led coalition was coined in 2003 for the coalition led by the Congress.
After the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 22 seats in the polls in 2003, the MDA coalition was supported by UDP, MDP, KHNAM, HSPDP and Independents.
While DD Lapang was the chief minister, Donkupar Roy was the deputy chief minister.
It was only after the 2008 Assembly polls that the MDA was renamed as Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA), first led by Lapang and then by Mukul Sangma from 2010.
Currently, the two pre-poll alliance partners, UDP and HSPDP, are under the banner of Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA).
