A silhouette of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma at his residence in Shillong | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
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Shillong: Politics runs in Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s blood.
His father, Purno Agitok Sangma, served as chief minister of Meghalaya and speaker of the Lok Sabha, broke his decades-old ties with the Congress, co-founded the Nationalist Congress Party and then the National People’s Party, and became one of the foremost leaders to represent his state and the larger North-eastern region in national politics.
As far back as 2008, Conrad had begun to show that he would follow in his father’s footsteps, being appointed Meghalaya’s youngest-ever finance minister at 30 in the short-lived Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government.
And since 2018, Conrad — supposedly named after Polish-British author Joseph Conrad — has come into his own, forming an NPP-led coalition government that includes the BJP and taking power away from the Congress after nine years.
Despite the additional responsibilities of CM, Conrad makes it a point to visit his constituency, Tura, every two weeks. ThePrint accompanied him on one such trip to the small town in the West Garo Hills district in August 2021.
On the way, Conrad stopped to meet party MLAs and interact with farmers. His wife, Dr Mehtab Chandee, accompanied him on this trip, while their two daughters, Amara and Kaiyyan, stayed back at home.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma with daughter Kaiyyan at their residence in Shillong | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintThe children leave for school | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintConrad Sangma speaking to his chief of security as Dr Mehtab prepares to depart for Tura | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintConrad and Mehtab leaving for the Tura constituency | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintThe CM and his wife have breakfast on the way to Tura | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintConrad and Mehtab enjoy the scenic view of the Tura Hills | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintThe CM inspects a cryogenic oxygen plant at Jengial in the West Garo Hills, along with Dr Mehtab | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintThe Jengjal plant caters to the needs of five districts in the Garo Hills and parts of the West Khasi hills | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintLocal residents observe the arrival of the chief minister at a farmers’ programme in the North Garo hills district | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintCM Conrad Sangma receives a guard of honour | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintAt Tura, Sangma shows important photographs on his phone to MLAs from his party, NPP | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintDr Mehtab meets local women at Bajengdoba village in Tura | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintCM Conrad Sangma at his office in Shillong | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrintCM Sangma in front of a painting in his Shillong office | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
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