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A day after the results of assembly polls in Meghalaya in which the ruling NPP emerged as the single-largest party, MLAs of other parties except NPP and BJP held a meeting on Friday to decide their future course of action in an apparent bid to form the next government in the state.
The development came on a day Chief Minister and National People's Party chief Conrad Sangma staked claim to form the government. He met Governor Phagu Chauhan to stake him claim. The ruling NPP bagged 26 seats and BJP which has two MLAs had extended it support. Conrad Sangma on Friday evening submitted the letter of support to Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan at Raj Bhawan signed by 32 MLAs of NPP, BJP, HSPDP and two Independents. The state has 60 seats and polling was held on 59 seats due to death of a sitting candidate. The Chief Minister later said he has majority in the Assembly. United Democratic Party (UDP) president Metbah Lyngdoh also said they have support of support of 31 MLAs and "sufficient numbers" to form the government. "Thirty one MLAs of UDP, TMC, Congress, PDF, HSPDP and one Independent MLA were present in the meeting and we have the sufficient number," he said. The parties which met today included Trinamool Congress (TMC), Congress, United Democratic Party (UDP), People's Democratic Front (PDF), Voice of People Party (VPP) and Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP). Trinamool Congress leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told ANI that the people of the state had given a fractured mandate and the result was for change of government in the state. He said that they know how to get numbers and the name of the alliance of the grouping has not yet been decided. "All parties, except BJP and NPP, were here. All parties are sensitive to responsibilities vested upon us. We are aware of our responsibilities that comes with the mandate. Certain things will be further discussed and when we submit our claim the other events will unfold. Do not worry about numbers, we know how to get the numbers. Numbers can be claimed and counter-claimed. You have to go and see what is happening everywhere, in every camp. Name of alliance yet to be decided but resolve to come together finalised," he told ANI. He said the meeting discussed the need to come together to ensure that the state is not subjected again to misrule. "People of the state have given a fractured mandate. This mandate is for a change...Rest of the political parties must understand that along with this mandate comes a responsibility to come and work together for the larger good of people. Therefore, this meeting discussed the need to come together and stand firm in our commitment to ensure that the state is not subjected again to that kind of misrule and unprecedented plundering," he said. Two MLAs of HSPDP extend their supports to NPP, but the HSPDP leadership said that it had not authorised its MLAs to give support to NPP and the party has withdrawn the support. Governor Chauhan has accepted the resignation Conrad Sangma and requested him to continue till alternative arrangements are made. Earlier on Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma said that Conrad Sangma called Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking support to form a government in the state. United Democratic Party (UDP) bagged 11 seats in the results of assembly polls announced on Thursday. Congress won five seats. Trinamool Congress, which had inducted all Congress MLAs in the previous assembly, also got five seats. BJP, People's Democratic Front and Hill State People's Democratic Party bagged two seats each. Voice of the People Party got four seats. Two seats were won by independent candidates. BJP and NPP were partners in the outgoing government but fought the assembly polls separately. The BJP and its allies won comfortable victories in Tripura and Nagaland in the other assembly pollresults announced on Thursday. (ANI)
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