The electoral mandate in Meghalaya has thrown up a hung House and in the process put the Conrad K. Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) in the best position to form a coalition government for the second consecutive term. The NPP registered a spectacular performance, winning 26 of the 59 seats for which elections were held. Its tally in 2018 was 19. The election in Sohiong constituency was adjourned following the demise of the United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate and former Meghalaya Home Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh.
Sangma accompanied by NPP and BJP leaders called on Governor Phagu Chauhan on March 3 and requested him to invite the NPP to form the government. The UDP and other regional parties which were constituents in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) did not join him at Raj Bhavan. This indicated that the numbers game is not going to be easy. The combined strength of the NPP and the BJP falls short of the magic number by two seats. In 2018, the Congress emerged as the single largest party, but BJP’s deft move of bringing the NPP and the UDP, the two constituents of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), shut the Congress out in the numbers game.
Before calling on the Governor, Sangma claimed that he had the numbers but refused to divulge details.
The result for the 59 seats are as follows: NPP 26, BJP 2, UDP 11, Congress 5, Trinamool Congress 5, Voice of the People Party 4, Hill State People’s Democratic Party 2, People’s Democratic Front 2 and Independents 2.
Party positions in 2018 were: NPP 19, BJP 2, UDP 6, Congress 21, HSPDP 2, PDF 4, Independents 3, and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement 1.
Supporters of National People’s Party (NPP) celebrate Conrad Sangma’s victory in the State assembly election in South Tura constituency on March 2. | Photo Credit: ANI
The BJP rushed to extend its support to the NPP for government formation even before Sangma initiated the process. While the BJP and NPP fought against each other after sharing power for five years, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his election speech characterised Meghalaya as “one of the most corrupt States”. The other constituents of the MDA—the UDP, the PDF, and the HSPDP—also fought against the NPP on the corruption plank.
One of Sangma’s tweets on the day of the results indicated that it was the BJP that reached out to him to pledge support for forming the government.
Conrad Sangma tweeted: “Thank you @BJP4Meghalaya for reaching out to the NPP and for extending your support to our party to form the Government. We will continue to work together to serve Meghalaya and its people.” He also shared the letter of support from the BJP, in which State BJP president Ernest Mawrie mentioned that the “letter of support” has been submitted as per directions from BJP national president J.P. Nadda.
Assam Chief Minister and NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma, on the other hand, in a tweet claimed that Sangma had called Amit Shah and sought his support and blessings in forming the government. Sarma later retweeted Sangma’s tweet.
Sangma told reporters that it had been communicated to him that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah would like to attend the swearing-in ceremony which may be scheduled after getting a confirmation of their itinerary. In 2018, the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, the then BJP national president, rushed to Shillong to attend the swearing-in ceremony even though the support of the two BJP legislators was not crucial for the survival of the coalition government headed by Sangma.
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The results of this round showed consolidation of regional forces in the State with the UDP emerging as the second largest party with 11 seats, five up from last time. Both the NPP and the UDP are members of the BJP-led NEDA but the UDP has kept its options open on joining the government. The newly formed Voice of the People Party made its mark by winning four seats on debut but has ruled out any alliance with the NPP. If the UDP joins the government that would reduce the NPP’s dependence on the BJP, the HSPDP, the PDF, and independents for stability. Apart from the BJP, the NPP’s equation with the UDP and the other regional parties will be crucial for preventing Meghalaya from returning to the era of political instability that plagued it for the longest period since its formation in 1972.
The Trinamool Congress led by former Congress Chief Minister Mukul Sangma launched an aggressive campaign and roped in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as star campaigners. Five seats was all it got. In November, the former Chief Minister quit the Congress and joined the TMC along with 11 legislators, which led to the TMC replacing the Congress as the principal opposition party in the Assembly.
Scripting history
The NPP scripted history by becoming the first regional party to emerge as the single largest party in the State. Until the last Assembly election in 2018, the Congress remained the single largest party in Meghalaya’s electoral history. The NPP won just two seats in 2013 when Purno A. Sangma (Conrad Sangma’s father and former Lok Sabha Speaker) launched the party after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) expelled him in 2012 for refusing to withdraw his candidature in the presidential election. In 2019, the NPP became the first party from the north-eastern region to be recognised as a national party by the Election Commission of India. The party has won five seats in the Nagaland Assembly election and marked its consolidation as a pan-north-eastern party.
The NPP’s vote share increased from 20.6 per cent in 2018 to 31.4 per cent, while the BJP’s vote share marginally reduced from 9.6 per cent to 9.3 per cent. UDP’s vote share increased to 16.21 per cent from 11.61 per cent. AITC’s vote share increased to 13.7 per cent from 0.4 per cent with the party becoming the largest beneficiary of defection by the Congress legislators to TMC, NPP, and other parties.
The NPP won 16 of the total 24 seats in Garo Hills districts and 10 of the total 36 seats in Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts. In 2018, the ruling party won 11 seats in Garo Hills districts and the other eight came from Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts.
Prominent winners include incumbent Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma. Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president and the party’s Member of Parliament from Shillong Vincent H. Pala was among the prominent losers.
Narrowest of margins
The NPP lost three seats by a slender margin. In Rajabala, the TMC’s Mizanur Rahma Kazi edged out the NPP’s Abdu Saleh by 10 votes; in Amlarem, the UDP’s Lahkmen Rymbui bested the NPP’s Stephanson Mukhim by 57 votes; and in Dedenggre, the TMC’s Rupa M. Marak won by 18 votes against the NPP’s James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma, the Chief Minister’s elder brother. James Sangma had won from the constituency three times and held the portfolios of Home, Power, Law, Food and Civil supplies, and Consumer Affairs.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma submits his resignation to Governor Phagu Chauhan and stakes claim to form the government, in Shillong on March 3, 2023. | Photo Credit: ANI
In Sohra, Gavin Miguel Mylliem (PDF) defeated Tittosstar Well Chyne (UDP) by 15 votes, and in Mylliem, Ronnie V. Lyngdoh (Congress) won by 38 votes against A.F. Lyngdoh (VPP).
Former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma scraped through by 372 votes in Songsak against Nihim D. Shira of the NPP, but lost to Jimmy D. Sangma (NPP) in Tikirikilla by over 5,313 votes.
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For the new NPP-led coalition government, adequate budgetary support from the Central government is crucial to implement some of its election promises, including the flagship FOCUS (Farmers’ Collectivisation for Upscaling Production and Marketing Scheme), a programme of cash transfer to farm producers.
The ruling party, in its manifesto, promised to spend Rs.2,500 crore over five years for providing Rs.5,000 every year to each of the eight lakh beneficiaries under the scheme. It claimed that Rs.155 crore was spent under FOCUS and FOCUS+ in cash transfer of Rs.5,000 to each of the 3.1 lakh beneficiaries, including 2.05 lakh women of producer households, to boost production of turmeric, ginger, and spices in the State.
Factors at play
Speaking to Frontline on the significance of the results and issues such as why the BJP could not improve its tally, Patricia Mukhim, author, commentator, columnist, and editor of The Shillong Times, said: “These results were not expected. We thought the NPP would face anti-incumbency in view of the multiple scams but that was not to be because of the presence of at least three national parties, which fragmented the vote. The NPP votes were consolidated.”
She added: “The BJP could not improve its tally because it could not sell itself as a party that is inclusive and not anti-minority. Besides, CAA and UCC are two contentious issues that people fear. The NPP did not really attack the BJP. Its primary rival was the TMC. The Christianity factor, more than the beef factor, played a role in keeping the BJP at bay.”
On the Congress’ performance against the backdrop of desertion and dissidence, she said: “It is evident that if the TMC had not come to Meghalaya, the Congress would still have been a force to reckon with. The Congress has not been able to rejuvenate itself. Elections require resources and the Congress, being out of power for a long time, did not have the money power of its rivals, which carried out an advertisement blitzkrieg. It will take a long time to rise from the ashes because the Congress bigwigs are hardly here to enthuse their workers.”
The Crux
- The National People’s Party registered a spectacular performance, winning 26 of the 59 seats for which elections were held in Meghalaya.
- Conrad Sangma accompanied by NPP and BJP leaders called on Governor Phagu Chauhan on March 3, and requested him to invite the NPP to form the government.
- The result for the 59 seats are as follows: NPP 26, BJP 2, UDP 11, Congress 5, Trinamool Congress 5, Voice of the People Party 4, Hill State People’s Democratic Party 2, People’s Democratic Front 2 and Independent 2.
- The NPP’s vote share increased from 20.6 pre cent in 2018 to 31.4 per cent, while BJP’s vote share marginally reduced from 9.6 per cent to 9.3 per cent.
