This move boosted Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s grip on power, giving the NPP an absolute majority of 31 seats in the 60-member Assembly.
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Congress suffered a setback in Meghalaya, three of its MLAs — Umsning Celestine Lyngdoh and suspended legislators Gabriel Wahlang and Charles Marngar — officially joined the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
This move boosted Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s grip on power, giving the NPP an absolute majority of 31 seats in the 60-member Assembly.
The Congress, which was once dominant, now left with just one MLA, Leader of the Opposition Ronnie V Lyngdoh. The defections follow Celestine Lyngdoh’s recent meeting with Congress leaders, where he had denied any immediate plans to join the NPP.
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With these new additions, the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) now commands a formidable strength of 49 seats, including members from the United Democratic Party (UDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), and two Independents.
The three MLAs met with Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma to formalise their defection and were welcomed on Monday into the NPP by key party leaders, including Chief Minister and NPP national president Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong celebrated the party’s achievement of an absolute majority, calling it a historic moment for the NPP. He extended an open invitation to other MLAs to join the party and dared the Congress to pursue legal action if they believed any wrongdoing had occurred.
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