Meghalaya goes to polls on February 27. A total of 375 candidates are contesting for 60 Assembly seats. Results will be announced on March 2. A party needs to win at least 31 seats to win the majority mark in Meghalaya. In the 2018 election, the NPP won 19 seats and the BJP won two seats, while the United Democratic Party (UDP) emerged victorious in six constituencies. Although the Congress emerged as the largest single party with 21 seats, the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), came to power with support from BJP, UDP, and other regional parties.
This year, the NPP and BJP are contesting solo. As ruling outfit NPP battles allegations of rampant corruption in the past five years, the BJP's manifesto promises a “corruption-free” Meghalaya. While the Trinamool Congress has fielded 58 candidates, the BJP and Congress have fielded 60 candidates each.
The BJP, whose influence is restricted to Shillong, campaigned stridently against the state’s tribal majority. Under attack, the tribals polarized and gravitated to Sangma’s party. The losers were the Congress and UDP. In Tripura, the newly formed TIPRA Motha was propped up secretly and helped decimate the Left and Congress alliance.
Pro tem speaker Timothy D Shira is administering the oath of office to the MLAs -- 45 of whom belong to the NPP-led coalition set to form the government under Conrad Sangma.
Jemino Mawthow, the general secretary of the party that was a partner of the NPP in the previous govt, explains why UDP is trying to stitch up an alternative coalition for a shot at power.
Initially on Thursday, two HSDP MLAs’ names were on a list of 32 that NPP chief Conrad Sangma submitted to the Governor. But, the legislators later “withdrew” their support.
Jairam Ramesh says, “To say that our performance in the northeastern states is because the national leaders did not campaign is a wrong interpretation … local leadership matters.”
CM Conrad K Sangma leading in the South Tura; state Congress president Vincent H Pala trailing behind NPP's Santa Mary Shylla in the Sutnga Saipung seat.
Gurgaon Police registers criminal case against comedian Pranit More and web developer Himanshu Jangra for making controversial remarks during a comedy show. NCW takes notice and issues summons, expressing concern over the normalisation of gender-based entitlement. Legal action taken and controversial video asked to be removed from social media platforms.
