Three out of four Congress MLAs in Meghalaya joins ruling NPP

This increased the tally of ruling NPP to 31 in the 60-member Assembly and Congress was left with just one legislator.

Guwahati: The Opposition Congress in Meghalaya is now left with only one legislator as three out of four MLAs on Monday formally joined the ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Shillong.

The three MLAs, Charles Marngar of Mawhati, Gabriel Wahlang of Nongstoin, and Celestine Lyngdoh of Umsning Assembly constituency joined the NPP in the presence of the party's national president and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.

This came after Congress suspended two MLAs, Margnar and Wahlang, on August 16 citing anti-party activities.

The development gave the NPP more reasons to rejoice as its tally increased to 31 in the 60-member Assembly. In the Assembly elections held last year, the NPP won 26 seats and had to take support of two regional parties, United Democratic Party, HSPDP and the BJP to form the coalition government for the second straight term.

The Opposition Congress, which was in power for the maximum time since Meghalaya became a state in 1972, was reduced to just five. One of the MLAs, Saleng A. Sangma was elected to the Lok Sabha when he santched the Tura Lok Sabha seat from NPP's Agatha K. Sangma. Ronnie V. Lyngdho of Mylliem is the only Congress MLAs in the Assembly now.

After NPP lost the Tura seat, several leaders of the party said that its ties with BJP cost the party in the Christian-majority Meghalaya.

One NPP leader in Shillong on Monday evening said the NPP could now think about severing its ties with BJP as it got the absolute majority in the Assembly with the joining of the three Congress MLAs on Monday.

Meghalaya Assembly Speaker, Thomas A. Sangma issued a notification on Monday accepting the merger of the three Congress MLAs with NPP as they comprise two-third of the Congress MLAs. The merger, the notification said, is allowed under para 4 Tenth Schedule f of the Constitution.