Shillong, Aug 19: The ruling National People’s Party led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is in pole position after three sitting Congress legislators joined the party on Monday evening, giving the NPP, for the very first time, a clear majority on its own in the assembly.
In a house of 60 legislators where the simple majority needs to be 30, the NPP now has 31 members. It won the last assembly elections (2023) with 26 MLAs, by far its best performance. Later, two PDF MLAs joined the party to push its tally further up.
On Monday evening, three rebel Congress MLAs, Dr Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning constituency), Charles Marngar (Mawhati) and Gabriel Wahlang, crossed over from the Congress and were welcomed into the party by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma during a special program in Shillong.
“This has given a boost to the party, and more importantly, it has reinforced our commitment to serving our people and taking our state forward,” said the chief minister as he recalled the humble beginnings of the NPP that was formed by his late father P A Sangma.
The chief minister dismissed speculations of conflict among alliance parties sharing power with his party, now that the NPP alone has a clear majority in the assembly.
“There are two aspects- one at party and the other at government level. We have been very clear, including the MLAs themselves that they are not coming into the party for any personal gains or positions. There are no conditions,” said the chief minister.
Conrad Sangma also dismissed talk of a cabinet reshuffle in the light of the latest developments where the numbers of the NPP has swelled to 31.
The entry of the three congress MLAs into the NPP is a body blow to the grand old party. With the election of Gambegre MLA Saleng A Sangma to Parliamant and the exit of Dr Celestine and his two accomplices, the Congress now has Ronnie V Lyngdoh as the only party legislator in the assembly.
The Congress made a serious attempt to stall the defection of two rebel MLAs, namely Gabriel Wahlang and Charles Marngar, by suspending them from the party for six years.
But on a day of fast paced political developments, Celestine Lyngdoh shocked the party by joining the two rebel legislators and met with Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma to claim immunity from the anti-defection law citing the two-third numbers required to escape disqualification.
