Rajnath, Shah to attend Meghalaya swearing-in

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah are likely arrive in Meghalaya on Tuesday to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the National People's Party (NPP)-led government in the state, Assam BJP leaders said on Monday.

"Both leaders are to arrive here on Monday and spent the night. They would leave for Shillong on Tuesday," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said here on Monday evening.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam BJP president Ranjit Dass are likely to receive Rajnath Singh and Shah at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport near Guwahati.

NPP chief and son of former Lok Sabha Speaker Late P.A. Sangam, Conrad Sangma, is likely to be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of the non-Congress government on Tuesday.

The NPP managed to win 19 seats in the polls and got the support of 15 more legislators -- including six from the United Democratic Party (UDP), four from People's Democratic Party (PDP), two from BJP and one Independent legislator -- taking the strength of the combined alliance to 32 in the 60-member House.

Another regional political party, Hill State Peoples' Democratic Party (HSPDP), had on Sunday announced support to Conrad Sangma-led NPP government, but the HSPDP on Monday expressed its unwillingness to become part of a government with the BJP.

But the alliance still has 32 legislators required to form the government.

--IANS

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