More Trouble For Conrad Sangma, HSPDP Wants BJP Out of Coalition in Meghalaya

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

New Delhi, Mar 5: Hill State People’s Democratic Party on Monday delivered to a jolt to the efforts of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form non-congress government in Meghalaya. The regional party clarified it will not be a part of the coalition led by National People’s Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma if the saffron party remains part of the alliance. Talking to reporters, HSPDP President Ardent Basaiawmoi said that the party campaigned for non-BJP, non-Congress government in Meghalaya.

“During the election we have campaigned that we want to have a non-Congress and non-BJP government, this is the reason we don’t want the BJP. HSPDP says ‘no’ to be in the Regional Democratic Alliance if BJP is part of the Alliance,” India Today Basaiawmoi as saying.

The move may hit NPP President Conrad Sangma severally if he fails to prove majority in Meghalaya legislative assembly. The electoral alliance of National People’s Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and United Democratic Front on Sunday had claimed to form the next government in the Meghalaya. Accepting grand alliance’s proposal, Governor Ganga Prasad invited NPP leader Conrad Sangma to take oath as next Chief Minister of Meghalaya.

While Congress became the largest party in recently concluded assembly polls by bagging 21 seats, the NPP won 19 seats.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

The BJP, which drew a blank in the last elections, got two seats. The UDP won six seats while its alliance partner the HSPDP won two seats.

The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) bagged four seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents got one seat each.