Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
In a boost for Conrad Sangma, the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) on March 5 offered their support to the National People’s Party (NPP) led alliance.
With the joining of these two parties, the strength of the coalition led by the NPP has swelled to 45 – the UDP has 11 legislators while the PDF has two.
The letters of support was submitted to the NPP national president Conrad K Sangma on Sunday afternoon by the respective parties.
UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh in the letter of support addressed to Sangma stated, “In the light of the people’s mandate, I on behalf of the parliamentary party of the United Democratic Party do hereby extend support for government formation.”
Meanwhile, the PDF in its letter of support stated that it wants to support the new government in order to ensure stability of the government, and also to work in unity for the prosperity of the state and its people as a whole.
It may be mentioned that on Saturday, Sangma had told reporters that “some parties” were in talks with him to join the coalition.
Sources informed that these two regional parties had no option but to join the ruling alliance after the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) ditched the effort of the UDP to form a non-NPP, non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grouping.
It may be mentioned that HSPDP’s, Shakliar Warjri and Methodious Dkhar were absent from a meeting convened by the UDP on Friday to form a non NPP, non BJP alliance.
Later on the same day photographs of them submitting their letter of support to Sangma emerged.
The same night miscreants torched Meda Infrastructure Pvt Ltd believed to be run by Dkhar in Laitumkhrah.
In another incident, the residence of Alvin Sawkmie, an NPP candidate from Mawsynram who lost the election to UDP’s Ollan Singh Suin, was attacked by masked men in Cleve Colony around 8.30 pm.
Incidentally, Alvin Sawkmie is related to HSPDP MLA from Mawthadraishan Shakliar Warjri.
With the joining of the UDP and the PDF in the coalition, the formation is almost the same as the previous Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.
With 26 legislators the NPP had earlier roped in the BJP, HSPDP and independents – with two MLAs each.
It remains to be seen how Sangma will share the ministry among the alliance partners.