NPP’s Conrad Sangma Swears In as Chief Minister of Meghalaya

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam

NPP leader Conrad Sangma took oath as the new chief minister of the state on Tuesday, 6 March.

The National People’s Party (NPP), along with the the United Democratic Party (UDP), the BJP and an Independent MLA, among others, formed an alliance and met Governor Ganga Prasad to stake claim over the formation of the government. Sangma’s Council of Ministers also took oath, in the presence of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president Amit Shah were present at the event, ANI reported.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told ANI that with Conrad Sangma swearing-in as the chief minister of Meghalaya, the perception that the northeastern states were Congress territory was now going to change.

Even before he took oath as the new Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma faced a series of challenges posed by members of the NPP-led alliance itself. According to IANS, one of the parties in the coalition, the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), expressed its objections to Sangma being projected as chief minister. This, they say, is due to the fact that the UDP did not consult the former while selecting Sangma as the new chief minister of the state.

The HSPDP also said that while the NPP has been indicating that they would select Prestone Tynsong as the chief ministerial candidate, they instead chose Sangma, who was not an elected legislator.

Along with this, the party also voiced their reservations about working in coalition with the BJP. “A non-Congress or non-BJP government could be formed along with the NPP,” Basaiawmoit told IANS.

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