Manipur story gets bigger as Conrad Sangma withdraws support to state govt

By withdrawing support from the government, Conrad Sangma has stood up to be counted in the eyes of the Kuki-Zo. Whether that matters is a proposition yet to be tested

Conrad Sangma, chief of the National People’s Party (NPP) and chief minister of Meghalaya, has withdrawn support to the Manipur government, which is run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the government, with support from 32 members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), is not in any danger of destabilisation. What is more, the NPP will continue to be a member of the Northeast Democratic Alliance, floated by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Northeastern equivalent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and will continue to stay in alliances where the BJP is a partner. In Meghalaya, the NPP,