Conrad Sangma to be Sworn in as Meghalaya CM on March 7
Conrad Sangma will be sworn-in for his second term as Chief Minister of Meghalaya on Tuesday. According to reports the ceremony will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sangma, who has patched up with the BJP after a pre-election split, claimed that he has an "absolute majority with 32 MLAs" on his side in the 60-member assembly but refused to give details of supporting parties.
The chief of the National People's Party (NPP) submitted his resignation letter to Governor Phagu Chauhan on Friday and has staked claim to form the new government in the state.
The NPP emerged as the single-largest party in Meghalaya on Thursday, winning 26 seats out of the 59 constituencies that went to vote on February 27.
The United Democratic Party (UDP), which was the NPP's ally in the last government, emerged as the second-largest party, winning 11 constituencies. It had won only six seats in the 2018 polls.
The Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won five seats each, while the BJP secured two assembly segments.
According to news agency ANI, a total of 29 newly elected Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) along with Mr Sangma were present at Raj Bhawan, out of which 26 MLAs are from NPP, two MLAs from BJP, and one Independent MLA.
Earlier in the day, the Governor of Meghalaya Fagu Chauhan accepted the resignation of CM Meghalaya and request him to continue on the post till alternative arrangements are made.
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma won from the South Tura constituency with a margin of 5,016 against Bharatiya Janata Party's Bernard N. Marak, as per the data shared by the Election Commission of India on Thursday.
On Thursday, Assam chief minister Himanta Sarma said that his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma called Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking support to form a government in the state.