Guwahati: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP) looks all set for a second term in the state, with the party winning 20 seats and leading in 5 as of 5.45 pm.
The state has 60 seats, of which elections were held in 59 following the death of a candidate. The election took place on 27 February.
Among the NPP’s coalition partners in the outgoing government, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has won 11 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 2 and was leading in 1 as of 5.45 pm.
Although these three partners contested separately, there is speculation that they might come together again.
On Tuesday, Sangma met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was instrumental in bringing together other parties to hand over the CM’s mantle to him in 2018, lending credence to the speculation.
Sangma told news agency ANI Thursday that any decision on a post-poll alliance will be taken once the final results are in.
Among other contesting parties, the Trinamool Congress, which had overnight emerged as the principal opposition party in the state in 2021 following defection by 12 Congress MLAs, was leading in 1 seat and had won 4.
The Congress, which emerged as the single-largest party in the last election with 21 seats only to be reduced to zero following defections, has won 5.
The NPP contested in 57 seats, while the BJP and the Congress placed candidates in all 60.
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‘When the time comes’
After winning his seat 51-South Tura, Sangma took to Twitter to thank the people.
This is the People’s victory. Thank you South Tura🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/ICBqhdSPsY
— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) March 2, 2023
Talking to ThePrint a few days before the election, Sangma said that he would decide on post-poll alliances “when the time comes”.
At a press meet in Guwahati Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister and BJP strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was certain of the NDA forming the government in the polling states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, but also made it clear there would be “no alliance with the TMC and Congress”.
The same day, Conrad Sangma met Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati for a confidential discussion.
Political analyst Professor Prasenjit Biswas of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) told ThePrint that the game of alliances and who would be the next Meghalaya chief minister depends on several factors.
“Meghalaya witnesses a game of ace. Whether the NPP can ally with the UDP is a major question. The fate of Conrad Sangma shall be decided by the number of MLAs the NPP wins in Garo Hills,” he said.
“Ethnic, regional and local factors shall play it out. There are many known unknowns. Who will be the next chief minister is one such issue,” Biswas added.
The UDP, a regional political outfit that has contested in 46 seats, was the second-largest constituent of the coalition government. Before the state went to polls, the UDP also emerged as the go-to place for party-hoppers. In 2018, it bagged 6 of 27 seats it contested.
The ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance included the UDP, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), and the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), besides the BJP. However, all constituents contested this assembly election separately.
The NPP is also a member of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), earning national party status in 2019.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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