BJP ally NPP's Conrad Sangma sworn in as Meghalaya CM: Top 10 developments

After the Northeast Assembly election results 2018, BJP is set to form its maiden government in Tripura, and will be part of coalitions forming state governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya

National Peoples Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma was on Tuesday administered the oath of office and secrecy as the new chief minister of Meghalaya. His council of ministers was also sworn in at the oath-taking ceremony, held at 10:30 am in Shillong.

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated Sangma and said the BJP's victory in the Northeast Assembly elections 2018 would change the perception of the people. 

Meanwhile, even as the NPP and alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were preparing for the swearing-in ceremony, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the BJP, saying the latter had "usurped power in Meghalaya through a proxy". Following favourable Northeast Assembly election results 2018, while the BJP is set to form its maiden government in Tripura, it will also be part of the coalitions forming governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya.  

The BJP, for its part, has accused the Congress of practising "politics of fear, confusion, and concoction". Top BJP leaders from the Centre will also be present during swearing-in of Sangma and his council of ministers.  

On Saturday, the Meghalaya Assembly election results 2018 threw up a fractured mandate, with the Congress emerging as the largest party. It was marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP. The NPP is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur as well. 

The Congress, in power in the state for the past 10 years, won 21 out of 59 seats that went to the polls on February 27. The figure was 10 short of a simple majority. 

Here are the top 10 developments around the Meghalaya government's swearing-in today:

1) NPP's Sangma sworn in as new Meghalaya CM: On Tuesday, Conrad Sangma was sworn in as Meghalaya's new chief minister at a ceremony in Shillong.   
Along with the NPP president, his council of ministers was sworn in at the same ceremony.   





On Monday, National Peoples Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma said that Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad had invited him to form the government in the state.  

"The governor has invited me to form the government as I have the numbers," Sangma said. Confirming the NPP president's remarks, a Raj Bhavan official said, "The governor has extended invitation to Conrad Sangma to form the government as he has the support of 34 MLAs."  

On Sunday evening, Sangma met Ganga Prasad and staked his claim to form the government with the support of 34 MLAs. Meghalaya has a 60-member Assembly.

After the meeting, Sangma said, "We met the Governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs -- 19 of the NPP, six of 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."

Last week, the state saw a fractured mandate. After the counting of votes on Saturday, the Congress had emerged as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur. The Congress, which had been in power in the state for the past 10 years, won 21 seats out of the 59 that went to polls on February 27. The figure was 10 short of a simple majority.

The party had staked claim to form the government in the state at a meeting with the governor, officials and party leaders said. A delegation of three central Congress leaders -- Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel, and C P Joshi -- had met the Governor on Saturday. 

2) BJP's Amit Shah, Rajnath to attend Meghalaya swearing-in: On Monday, Assam BJP leaders said that party president Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh would reportedly participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the NPP-led government in Meghalaya on Tuesday.

"Both leaders are to arrive here on Monday and spend the night. They would leave for Shillong on Tuesday," BJP leaders told news agencies in Guwahati on Monday evening.  

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

3) HSPDP roadblock in the way of Conrad Sangma, BJP: A constituency of the NPP-led coalition that will form the government in Meghalaya, the Hills State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP), on Monday said that the BJP should have been kept out of the alliance since the regional parties, together, had the required number.  

The HSPDP also objected to the lone NPP Lok Sabha member, Sangma, being projected as the Chief Minister.  

In Shillong, HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit told reporters that it was also decided at a party meeting that the two MLAs the party has would not take part in the swearing-in ceremony of Conrad K Sangma as chief minister. The party's two MLAs are signatories to the letter of support to the NPP-led coalition government. 

The HSPDP has won two seats in the election, but its president has lost to an independent candidate by only 76 votes. 

Basaiawmoit said that from before the state Assembly elections, the HSPDP's stand has been "to have a non-Congress, non-BJP government". The HSPDP president added that now, there was the possibility of such a government, where the NPP-led coalition could have been formed with 32 MLAs. 

At least 30 seats are required to form a majority in the 60-member Assembly, which has an effective strength of 59. 

Sangma has the support of 34 MLAs -- his own party the NPP (19 seats), the BJP (2), the UDP (6), the PDF (4), the HSPDP (2), and an Independent.

Basaiawmoit led central executive leaders of the party to the residence of United Democratic Party president Donkupar Roy expressing "disappointment and disagreement" to the proposal made by the UDP that Conrad should be the CM. The HSPDP had a pre-poll alliance with the UDP.

"This decision was taken unilaterally by the UDP and without consulting us. It is the job of the alliance to decide who should lead the government," he said. He added that the HSPDP is waiting for a response from the UDP on the expressions made by the party.

4) Congress 'third-time unlucky' with Meghalaya: After Manipur and Goa, Meghalaya is the third state where despite emerging as the single-largest party, the Congress has been unable to forge a post-poll alliance with any regional parties. 

Outgoing Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told journalists: "We have offered formulae to the UDP for working together -- either the UDP should lead the government or share power for two-and-half years. But UDP President Donkupar Roy told me that this (formula) could have been discussed much earlier." 

5) Rahul Gandhi says BJP 'demonetising' democracy: Returning after a visit to Italy, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the BJP over the developments in Meghalaya. Gandhi said the BJP has "usurped power in Meghalaya through a proxy" and termed it as "demonetisation of democracy".

He accused the BJP of being "obsessed with grabbing power using big money to create an opportunistic alliance". The Congress president tweeted that "democracy has been demonetised" in Meghalaya. He added that the "BJP was showing utter disregard for the mandate of people in the state". 

"With just two seats, the BJP has usurped power in Meghalaya, through a proxy. Like in Manipur and Goa, showing utter disregard for the mandate of the people. Obsessed instead with grabbing power, using big money to create an opportunistic alliance," tweeted Gandhi and described it as #DemocracyDemonetised. 

6) Himanta Biswa Sarma says Rahul 'showed immaturity': BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma took a swipe at Gandhi. Sarma claimed that the Congress president's decision to send his party's top leadership to Meghalaya showed immaturity and lack of calculation. 

"I think top Congress leaders were sent to Meghalaya as they were told that they were the single largest party. However, they had no support from regional parties -- the latter are supporting the BJP. I feel that Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculation.

It shows his lack of maturity," Sarma said. 

7) Congress wants PM Modi to learn from Rajiv Gandhi: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the BJP of "following a dangerous game of destabilisation" in the Northeast and of being "unmindful" of the region's stability, security, peace, and progress. He also accused the party of "usurpation of power" in the Northeast. 

In a tweet, Surjewala said that he hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "cared to learn from" the former Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, "who put 'Nation First'" and "brought peace to the region" through the "Assam and Mizo accords". 












 

8) BJP accuses Congress of 'politics of fear': On Monday, the BJP accused the Congress of practising "politics of fear, confusion and concoction" against the Modi government. The party added that the results of the three Northeast Assembly elections showed that such attempts would not succeed.

"The politics of fear and concoction does not last long. People not only understand it but also reject at the earliest opportunity those who practise it," BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.  

Prasad added that the Congress had failed to secure a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland and that it could not even retain its government in Meghalaya.

He also said that the result in Tripura was a "tectonic shift" in the politics of the country and that it put to rest the Left's claim that it could not be defeated by the BJP in a direct contest.  

9) Who is Conrad Sangma? Conrad Sangma (40) is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father's death.

10) BJP MPs greet PM Modi in Parliament: On Monday, BJP MPs, led by party president Shah, greeted Prime Minister Modi on his arrival at the Parliament Complex following the saffron party's impressive performance in the Assembly polls in the three North Eastern states.  

The MPs were given an ethnic item, which is worn like a scarf, from the region as they greeted their leader, who then posed for a photograph with them before entering Parliament. 

Both Houses were later adjourned for the day following the Opposition's protests over the alleged multi-billion Punjab National Bank scam. 

The BJP is set to form its maiden government in Tripura and will be part of the governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya with allies.   

With agency inputs