SHILLONG:
Several legislators from different parties are said to be considering the National People’s Party (NPP) as their go-to party for contesting the 2023 assembly elections.
These MLAs belong to the Congress, People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Sources informed that a particular suspended Congress legislator even attends the parliamentary party meetings of the NPP.
Apart from this MLA, there are two more Congress legislators who are likely to be on their way to the NPP.
It may be mentioned that the last five Congress MLAs were suspended for a period of three-and-a-half years by the All India Congress Committee for extending their support to the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government where BJP is a partner.
“It seems at the end of the term, the Congress will be left with no legislator. Of the five remaining three will be joining the NPP and two the United Democratic Party (UDP),” a source said.
It may be mentioned that after the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 21 MLAs. However, they could not cobble up an alliance after the UDP decided to partner with the NPP.
Last year, leader of opposition Mukul Sangma along with 11 others joined the All India Trinamool Congress.
The sources also revealed that one MLA from the PDF is sure to join the NPP but there are another two whose chance of joining is 50-50.
“With the assembly elections eight months from now, the situation is fluid and one cannot for sure say that the other two PDF legislators will be joining the NPP. Both are weighing their options,” the source said.
There are also inputs that a BJP legislator may join the NPP ahead of the 2023 polls. The BJP has two legislators in the assembly.
It may be mentioned that various political parties are claiming that legislators from other parties will be joining theirs.
Recently, UDP president, Metbah Lyngdoh, said that six sitting legislators from different political parties are set to join the regional party.