<p>Football and guitar are their common love but the two Sangmas, Conrad and Mukul, are two equally strong players in the ensuing poll battle in Meghalaya.</p>.<p>Taking his father PA Sangma's legacy strongly forward, Conrad, now 45, has not only run the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) since 2018 without hiccups but also fulfilled his father's dream of attaining national party status for the National People's Party (NPP), in 2019. The NPP had won 19 out of 60 seats in the 2018 elections but Conrad managed to stitch an alliance with other regional parties and BJP and denied Mukul Sangma-led Congress its third straight term in office. Congress had emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats.</p>.<p>Conrad, this time has set a bigger target: an absolute majority for the NPP, while 57-year-old Mukul, considered the biggest face in Meghalaya politics after PA Sangma's death in 2016, is not only trying hard to bounce back to power but also give Trinamool Congress its first government outside Bengal.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/congress-slams-npp-over-poor-healthcare-system-promises-to-empower-women-1192183.html" target="_blank">Congress slams NPP over 'poor' healthcare system, promises to empower women</a></strong></p>.<p>Mukul and 11 other Congress MLAs switched over to TMC in November 2021, making Mamata Banerjee's party the principal Opposition party in the state. Congress was subsequently decimated owing to the exodus of MLAs. "Trinamool can be the only alternative in Meghalaya," Mukul keeps saying as TMC is strongly banking on Mukul and Charlse Pyngrope, former Speaker, to win the battle in Meghalaya.</p>.<p>Both Conrad and Mukul belong to the Garo community, one of the three major tribal communities in Meghalaya and a deciding factor in the state elections. Both are contesting in their respective constituencies from Garo Hills, a region having 24 out of 60 Assembly constituencies.</p>.<p>Conrad was a Lok Sabha member from Tura between 2016 and 2018 before becoming the CM. An MBA from Imperial College in London, an aggressive Conrad claims that the development Meghalaya witnessed in the past five years, was not seen during 50 years of its statehood. "But to take Meghalaya to a greater height of development, the state needs a stable government. So people should give us an absolute majority," Conrad recently said. Not just the Opposition TMC and Congress, Conrad-led NPP is faced with a fight against three of its allies, BJP, UDP, and HSPDP, who have put up candidates separately. BJP, a minor ally in the MDA government with two MLAs, is contesting in all 60 seats. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/meghalaya-polls-congress-attacks-bjp-for-fielding-leader-accused-of-running-brothel-1192398.html" target="_blank">Meghalaya polls: Congress attacks BJP for fielding leader accused of running brothel</a></strong></p>.<p>Mukul, a doctor, who had served in the state health department before entering politics, too, is targeting Conrad by calling the CM a "weak leader" and a "puppet of BJP". Conrad has countered by calling TMC "an outsider" in Meghalaya politics. </p>.<p>Conrad is also facing charges of corruption from BJP and other allies, ahead of the elections on February 27. BJP has alleged that Conrad is promoting "dynastic politics" in the Northeast as his brother James is a minister (also contesting the polls) and his sister, Agatha is a Lok Sabha member from Tura. The NPP has MLAs in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, too. </p>.<p>"All eyes are mainly on the two Sangmas, how they manage to prove their mettle in the poll battle and lead their parties to victory," said a senior journalist in Garo Hills, covering the campaigns for the elections. "A victory or a defeat for both will decide a lot about their political career. TMC's defeat may further lessen Mukul's significance in TMC and in state politics while a victory for Conrad is necessary to keep NNP's momentum going." </p>
<p>Football and guitar are their common love but the two Sangmas, Conrad and Mukul, are two equally strong players in the ensuing poll battle in Meghalaya.</p>.<p>Taking his father PA Sangma's legacy strongly forward, Conrad, now 45, has not only run the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) since 2018 without hiccups but also fulfilled his father's dream of attaining national party status for the National People's Party (NPP), in 2019. The NPP had won 19 out of 60 seats in the 2018 elections but Conrad managed to stitch an alliance with other regional parties and BJP and denied Mukul Sangma-led Congress its third straight term in office. Congress had emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats.</p>.<p>Conrad, this time has set a bigger target: an absolute majority for the NPP, while 57-year-old Mukul, considered the biggest face in Meghalaya politics after PA Sangma's death in 2016, is not only trying hard to bounce back to power but also give Trinamool Congress its first government outside Bengal.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/congress-slams-npp-over-poor-healthcare-system-promises-to-empower-women-1192183.html" target="_blank">Congress slams NPP over 'poor' healthcare system, promises to empower women</a></strong></p>.<p>Mukul and 11 other Congress MLAs switched over to TMC in November 2021, making Mamata Banerjee's party the principal Opposition party in the state. Congress was subsequently decimated owing to the exodus of MLAs. "Trinamool can be the only alternative in Meghalaya," Mukul keeps saying as TMC is strongly banking on Mukul and Charlse Pyngrope, former Speaker, to win the battle in Meghalaya.</p>.<p>Both Conrad and Mukul belong to the Garo community, one of the three major tribal communities in Meghalaya and a deciding factor in the state elections. Both are contesting in their respective constituencies from Garo Hills, a region having 24 out of 60 Assembly constituencies.</p>.<p>Conrad was a Lok Sabha member from Tura between 2016 and 2018 before becoming the CM. An MBA from Imperial College in London, an aggressive Conrad claims that the development Meghalaya witnessed in the past five years, was not seen during 50 years of its statehood. "But to take Meghalaya to a greater height of development, the state needs a stable government. So people should give us an absolute majority," Conrad recently said. Not just the Opposition TMC and Congress, Conrad-led NPP is faced with a fight against three of its allies, BJP, UDP, and HSPDP, who have put up candidates separately. BJP, a minor ally in the MDA government with two MLAs, is contesting in all 60 seats. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/meghalaya-polls-congress-attacks-bjp-for-fielding-leader-accused-of-running-brothel-1192398.html" target="_blank">Meghalaya polls: Congress attacks BJP for fielding leader accused of running brothel</a></strong></p>.<p>Mukul, a doctor, who had served in the state health department before entering politics, too, is targeting Conrad by calling the CM a "weak leader" and a "puppet of BJP". Conrad has countered by calling TMC "an outsider" in Meghalaya politics. </p>.<p>Conrad is also facing charges of corruption from BJP and other allies, ahead of the elections on February 27. BJP has alleged that Conrad is promoting "dynastic politics" in the Northeast as his brother James is a minister (also contesting the polls) and his sister, Agatha is a Lok Sabha member from Tura. The NPP has MLAs in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, too. </p>.<p>"All eyes are mainly on the two Sangmas, how they manage to prove their mettle in the poll battle and lead their parties to victory," said a senior journalist in Garo Hills, covering the campaigns for the elections. "A victory or a defeat for both will decide a lot about their political career. TMC's defeat may further lessen Mukul's significance in TMC and in state politics while a victory for Conrad is necessary to keep NNP's momentum going." </p>