File Picture Courtesy : The Economic Times
The ‘Scotland of the East’ Meghalaya has threw up a hung assembly in the recently concluded assembly polls 2018. Battling to hold on to power , the Congress party has emerged as the single largest party after winning 21 seats out of 59 seats of the Assembly. The NPP founded by former Lok Sabha Speaker Late P A Sangma finished a strong second with 19 seats. The BJP won only 2 seats. The saffron party contested 47 seats.
Interestingly in the assembly 17 seats have gone to others- Independents – They could well turn out to be the x factor as to which party forms the government in the state
It may be recalled that the polling for 59 assembly seats, out of a total of 60, was held on February 27. A Nationalist Congress Party candidate was killed in an IED blast, which resulted in countermanding of the polls in one seat.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who won from the two seats he contested, said the results were not on expected lines and he would keep his cards close to his chest with regard to the Congress forming the government.
Meanwhile, NPP chief Conrad Sangma said, “We are hopeful that we will be able to form the government. People are fed up with the corrupt Congress government and are looking for a change.”
According to various media reports, congress has rushed senior leaders Kamla Nath and Ahmed patel to find out ways to form the government in the state.
