Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new National People’s Party (NPP)-led government in Meghalaya at the Raj Bhavan at 11 am on March 7, chief minister-designate Conrad Sangma said.
Apart from Modi, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and union home minister Amit Shah will also witness Sangma’s swearing-in for the second time in a row.
“We have 32 legislators who are supporting us. Other political parties have also reached out to us and we are in discussions with other political parties, but the details of that I cannot disclose to you as of now,” Conrad Sangma said.
The 32 legislators include NPP 26, BJP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 2, Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) 2 and Independents 2.
However, HSPDP president KP Pangniang had said that the party doesn’t approve of the extension of support by its two MLAs to the NPP.
But Sangma said: “MLAs have been elected by the people of the constituency and hence they have the mandate of the people and then the MLAs would themselves decide whom they want to support.”
The two HSPDP MLAs who have extended support are Methodius Dkhar and Shakliar Warjri. One of Dkhar’s firms in the state capital was set ablaze by unidentified persons last night, while the security of the two MLAs has come under threat.
Assuring firm steps to maintain law and order, Sangma said: “Never seen this kind of violence and this is totally unacceptable. All steps are being taken to maintain law and order and there is sufficient manpower to handle it,” the CM designate said.
“It is very unfortunate that these kinds of incidents happened, in fact, it is very sad also to see that this is the kind of behaviour we are seeing that Meghalaya has never seen before.
Meghalaya has always believed in democracy, we have always accepted the mandate of the people and this election has given the mandate and the people have elected representatives and based on democratic process this government is being formed,” he said.
Noting that the assembly election is over and people have given their mandate, the NPP chief said, “This is not the time to have rally about all these things, so therefore it is a clear indication that this kind of activities taking place by these individuals is at a personal level.”
On the other hand, several pressure groups – Ka Sur U Paidbah ka Bri U Hynñiewtrep (KSUP7T), Hynñiewtrep National Youth Movement (HNYM), Saiñdur Tipkur-Tipkha Ïeng Ehrngiew Hynñiewtrep (STIEH) – have given a deadline till Monday for the two HSPDP MLAs – Shakliar Warjri and Methodius Dkhar – to return to the combine alliance comprising Congress, Trinamool Congress, United Democratic Party, Voice of the People Party and People’s Democratic Front to pave way for the formation of a coalition government sans NPP and BJP.
“We will gather at Raj Bhavan on the day of the swearing-in-ceremony of the CM and the new cabinet ministers like what we have done in December 2019 during the ILP agitations. We will not allow the two HSPDP MLAs to take their oath,” HYC vice president Donbok Kharlyngdoh said.
However, the chief minister-designate said that the pressure groups should have aired their grievances or held such rallies during the election process and not after the people gave their mandate.
“Coalition governments in the state and across the country have been formed by accepting support from different parties in a similar manner for many decades,” Sangma said.
