Election results: Everything to know about Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma
The vote counting for the Meghalaya Assembly elections is underway on Thursday, with the ruling National People's Party (NPP)—headed by CM Conrad Sangma—in the lead. However, it might not reportedly be able to reach the required majority mark of 31 seats to form the government. If it fails to, all eyes will be on Sangma's next move. So, here's everything to know about him.
Why does this story matter?
Earlier on Monday, over 21 lakh voters across 59 Assembly constituencies in Meghalaya voted to decide the state's political future. It recorded over 76% voting percentage as polling took place at 3,419 voting stations, per the Election Commission of India (ECI). Out of the 60 Assembly constituencies in Meghalaya, 36 constituencies fall in Khasi and Jaintia Hills region, while 24 are in Garo Hills.
Start of Conrad Sangma's political journey
After a hung Assembly in 2018, Sangma became Meghalaya's CM under a Bharatiya Janata Party-backed coalition. One of the youngest CMs in India, the 45-year-old is the son of former NPP leader, Meghalaya CM, and nine-time Lok Sabha member Purno Agitok Sangma. In the late 1990s, he started his political journey as the campaign manager for his father, who was then part of Congress.
Tale of Sangma's first state budget
Sangma's father co-founded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with Sharad Pawar after he got kicked out of Congress in 1999. In 2008, Sangma was elected to the Meghalaya Assembly on an NCP ticket and was assigned multiple crucial ministries, including Power, Finance, Tourism, etc., reported CNBC-TV18. Notably, he also presented the first state budget within 10 days of becoming the Meghalaya finance minister.
Sangma replaced his father as NPP chief
Following his father's death in the middle of the term in 2016, Sangma was later elected to the Parliament from Tura and took over the leadership of the NPP the same year. In 2018, resigned as Tura's MP following the Meghalaya State Assembly elections. However, the constituency remained in the family's hands after his sister Agatha Sangma was elected from Tura in a by-election.
Know about Conrad Sangma's non-political side
Since taking over the reins, CM Sangma has batted to boost tourism, promote industrial development, and improve Meghalaya's infrastructure. Per News18, the NPP leader is also an accomplished musician and sports enthusiast, having served as the president of the Meghalaya Cricket Association and Sports Academy.
Sangma's met Assam CM Sarma in Guwahati: Report
Ahead of Thursday's election results, Sangma reportedly met with Assam CM and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Tuesday, which triggered rumors of a possible coalition, reported PTI. The NPP and BJP ran the Meghalaya government for the past five years as part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA); however, the two parties fought the polls independently this time.
NPP leader talks about possible BJP alliance in Meghalaya
In case there is a hung Assembly in Meghalaya, the possibility of the NPP once again joining forces with the saffron brigade to form the next government is relatively high. Speaking about this possibility, NPP leader Saidul Khan on Thursday told news agency IANS, "We are having a close watch on the results. We have been keeping all options open."
We are short on few numbers: Sangma
Expressing his thoughts on the early trends of the election results, Sangma told ANI, "We'd like to thank the people of the state for having voted for us." "We are short on a few numbers, so we'll wait for the final results to come out. We will see what next steps are to be taken based on the final results," the Meghalaya CM added.
