Conrad Sangma, chief of the National People’s Party is all set to be the next Chief Minister of Meghalaya.
Mr Conrad, who will be sworn in on Tuesday, will not have a deputy, BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced after Mr Conrad staked claim to form the government and received an invite.
The Congress had emerged as the largest single party with 21 members.
But as he emerged from his meeting with Governor Ganga Prasad, Mr Sangma underlined that “it’s not about being single largest, it’s about having the majority”. Mr Sarma said the BJP-back coalition would have 34 lawmakers.
The NPP-led coalition has claimed support of 34 lawmakers in the assembly including 6 of the United Democratic Party, four of the People’s Democratic Front and two each from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party and the BJP. An independent lawmaker has also joined the coalition.
A late afternoon announcement by Dr Donkupar Roy of the United Democratic Party pledging his support to a possible government led by the 40-year-old Conrad Sangma cleared the decks for staking claim to form a government led by NPP.
