By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 20: With Rajya Sabha member Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi already announcing his intention to not seek another term after his tenure ends in June 2026, former Cabinet minister and NPP national working president James PK Sangma has emerged as the likely successor.
According to political insiders, James, the elder brother of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, is likely to be nominated by the party to the Upper House after Kharlukhi’s term ends.
A source revealed that an internal arrangement was reached within the Sangma family and the NPP leadership, under which James stepped aside from contesting the Gambegre bye-election in 2024.
The bypoll was instead contested and won by the chief minister’s wife, Mehtab Chandee.
This is now being seen as a strategic move to pave the way for James’s election to the Rajya Sabha in 2026.
While the NPP is yet to officially announce its nominee, the groundwork appears to be in motion, reinforcing speculation of a carefully calibrated political plan within Meghalaya’s first family.
