• Meghalaya Democratic Alliance 2.0: NPP to have 8 cabinet berths, UDP gets 2, 1 each for BJP, HSPDP

    Politics
    Meghalaya Democratic Alliance 2.0: NPP to have 8 cabinet berths, UDP gets 2, 1 each for BJP, HSPDP

    The regional United Democratic Party (UDP) extended support to the NPP-BJP coalition on Sunday, bringing the Meghalaya drama to a...


    Digital Desk: National People’s Party (NPP) national president, Conrad K Sangma, announced on Monday that the new coalition government will be named as the 'Meghalaya Democratic Alliance 2.0,' with him as chairman.


    He further stated that the NPP will receive eight cabinet berths, the United Democratic Party (UDP) two, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) one each.


    "Of the 12 cabinet berths, four, including the chief minister, will be from the Garo Hills region, and eight from the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region," Conrad Sangma said. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National People's Party's (NPP) ally parties in Meghalaya on Monday in Shillong.


    "During the meeting, it was decided that the alliance will be called Meghalaya Democratic Alliance 2.0, the partners will remain the same, and the Chief Minister will serve as the alliance's chairman," Conrad Sangma said.


    The regional United Democratic Party (UDP) extended support to the NPP-BJP coalition on Sunday, bringing the Meghalaya drama to a close. UDP President Metbah Lyngdoh stated that the party has offered the NPP its support in forming the government.


    "We (the UDP and the PDF) have extended our support to the NPP," Metbah Lyngdoh stated on Sunday. Conrad Sangma's coalition now has 45 members, and he is expected to be sworn in as Chief Minister of Meghalaya for a second straight term on March 7 after being elected NPP legislature party leader.


    Earlier, BJP, two HSPDP MLAs, and two independent MLAs supported the NPP. The event will take place at Shillong's Raj Bhawan, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present.


    Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma won from the South Tura constituency by a margin of 5,016 over against Bharatiya Janata Party's Bernard N Marak, as per the data shared by the Election Commission of India on March 2.


    The United Democratic Party (UDP) won 11 seats in the results of assembly elections announced on Thursday. Congress won five seats. Trinamool Congress, which had inducted all Congress MLAs in the previous legislature, also received five seats.


    BJP, People's Democratic Front, and the Hill State People's Democratic Democratic Party all have won two seats. The Spirit of the People Party received four votes. Independent contenders were successful in winning two seats. The BJP and the NPP were partners in the previous government but ran separate campaigns in the assembly elections.