National People’s Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma on Monday said that he has been invited by Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad to form government in the state.

He said the swearing-in of the new ministers would take place on Tuesday.

“The governor has invited me to form the government since I have the numbers,” Sangma said.

On Sunday, Conrad K Sangma met the Governor listing support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly to stake his claim to form a coalition government with the help of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other regional parties in Meghalaya. The coalition — Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) — comprises the NPP, the United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP.

After meeting the governor, he had said, “We met the governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs — 19 of the NPP, six of the the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent.”

Conrad Sangma (40) is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) PA Sangma who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father’s death.

The Congress, which has been in power in the state for the last 10 years, won 21 seats out the 59 that went to polls last month. The party is 10 seats short of a simple majority.

Fractured mandate

Meghalaya had threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

The Congress bagged 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly, eight less than the last elections.

The BJP, which drew a blank in the last elections, got two seats. The UDP won six seats while its alliance partner the HSPDP won two seats.

The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) bagged four seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents got one seat each.

Polling for the 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly in Meghalaya was held on February 27. A Nationalist Congress Party candidate was killed in an IED blast, which resulted in countermanding of polls in one seat.

Outgoing Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had contested and won the elections from two seats.