Meghalaya: Cong Leads, But What if NPP, BJP & Others Join Hands?

Even if the Congress fails to win a clear majority, it is unlikely to retain the state of Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma files his nomination papers in Songsak.

(Photo: IANS)

Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party’s efforts to appeal to the predominantly Christian population of Meghalaya, the Congress has a clear advantage in the state and could emerge as the single largest party.

However, the question is, will its lead be enough to form the next government in Meghalaya?

As per the leads at 11:30 am, the Congress was leading in 26 seats, the National People’s Party (NPP) in 11 seats the BJP in 8 seats and the ‘Others’ were leading in 14 seats.

The NPP was started in 2013 by former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma. His son Conrad Sangma who’s leading the party explained why the NPP chose to go at it alone, instead of tying up with the BJP despite being a member of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

“Local sentiments and aspirations play a larger role in local elections”, he had recently said, adding:

Even in Manipur, we had contested elections on our own. We like to contest our political battles on the account of our identity. The post-poll strategy will depend on the results.

But will local sentiments be overrun if the Congress fails to touch the halfway-mark in the state?

Considering the leads at 11:30, it will not be possible without the support of the ‘Others’.

A pre-poll alliance between three local parties – United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Garo National Council (GNC) – form the bulk of ‘Others’.

And their primary aim to dislodge the Mukul Sangma-led Congress government in the state could serve the NPP-BJP agenda for Meghalaya.

Speaking to Livemint, last month, Paul Lyngdoh, Chief of the UDP indicated why a NPP+BJP+UDP+HSPDP+GNC alliance could form the next government in Meghalaya. He said:

Electorally, we are pitted against each other in a good number of constituencies, meaning, therefore, that we have no choice but to also take on the NPP. But I think, it is very important to keep in mind that our (regional parties’) common cause is to oust the Congress which has a string of misdeeds and we have given Mukul Sangma enough time.

The exit polls had predicted a close contest between the two parties. The C-voter exit poll had projected 17-23 seats for the NPP, 13-19 seats for the Congress and 8-12 seats for the UDP-HSPDP alliance and 4-8 seats for the BJP. Others, were predicted to win between 5-9 seats.

Tough Luck for the Congress?

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who was credited for the Congress’ 29/60 seat win in the 2013 elections, had struck a confident note of increasing the party’s tally in this election. The longest-serving chief minister had said:

I don’t see any anti-incumbency. Instead, there is so much of pro-incumbency. People of the state have faith and confidence in the Congress.

However, political indications before the voting day were not in favor of the party considering that eight MLAs, including five from the Congress had joined the BJP in December 2017.

Then in January this year, more than 100 Congress workers had resigned from the party over allotment of election tickets.

Doubts were also cast over Sangma’s leadership when the former Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh had resigned and joined the NPP. At the time he’d said:

The autocratic style of functioning of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had made it difficult for me and others to function in the government. 

Further, long-time alliance partner, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) split from the Congress directly blaming Sangma for not giving the party its due.

“Misgovernance was of the highest order and the people are disillusioned and are looking for a change”, the NCP general secretary Praful Patel said.

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