Meghalaya elects a hung Assembly, Congress rushes Ahmed Patel, Kamal Nath to woo allies

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Shillong, March 3, 2018 (ET): Meghalaya on Saturday elected a hung Assembly with ruling Congress emerging as a single largest party with 21 seats. The National People’s Party (NPP) bagged 18 and was leading in one seat. The United Democratic Party (UDP) won six seats and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement have won one seat each. The People’s Democratic Front bags four and the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) managed to win two seats in the 60-member Assembly.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the election results were not on expected lines and he would keep his cards close to his chest with regard to the Congress forming government in the state.

"The results were not on expected lines, but I am still looking forward," he told PTI. Asked if the Congress would be able to form government again in Meghalaya, Sangma said he would not like to reveal his party’s plan now. "I would like to keep my cards close to the chest," he said.

Sangma emerged as a winner from both Ampati and Songsok constituencies. PWD minister and Congress candidate Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh bagged the East Shillong constituency by defeating her nearest Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rival Neil Antonio War by over 5,000 votes.

Polling in Williamnagar constituency of the state was countermanded following the death of Nationalist Congress Party candidate in an IED blast.

The Congress has been in power in Meghalaya since 2003 and Sangma have been at the helm of affairs since 2010. After the Assembly elections in Manipur and Goa threw hung verdicts last year, the BJP was able to form governments there with the help of smaller parties and Independents.

Facing a similar situation, the BJP has asked Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to rush to Meghalaya for holding talks with smaller parties and Independents.

The Congress has also rushed senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath to work out possible tie-ups with independents in Meghalaya to form a government there..

The CVoter exit poll had predicted the ruling Congress suffering some setback with its tally coming down to 13-19 from 29 while the BJP is set to win 4-8 seats and around 16.5 percent of vote share. It said the local National People’s Party (NPP) may get 17-23 seats.

In 2013, the BJP had badly lost all 13 seats it contested with a vote share of 6.2 percent. The NPP had won only two seats out of 32 it contested.