Conrad Sangma wins trust vote in Meghalaya

The Conrad K Sangma government won a facile trust vote in the Meghalaya assembly on Monday.

In all, 35 votes were cast in favour of the confidence motion and 20 against. One vote was declared invalid, while an MLA abstained.

The pro-tem speaker did not vote. Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma had contested from two seats and won both.

Sangma-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party and regional parties, was sworn in on March 6.

Six non-Congress parties and an independent MLA constitute the MDA government.

Initiating the debate on the motion of confidence, former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma slammed the National People's Party of Conrad Sangma for tying up with the BJP. He also wanted to know which party led the ruling coalition.

"It will be appropriate for this house to know which party is leading the government. Is it by the NPP or is it led by BJP and its conglomerates?" he asked.

He said it was for the first time in the history of the state that files during the swearing-in of the new government were all saffron.

Responding to Mukul Sangma's barb, the chief minister said, " It is clear that the MDA government is headed by the NPP (National People's Party)...there is no doubt about it. All the political parties including the UDP (United Democratic Party), HSPDP (Hill State People Democratic Party), PDF (People's Democratic Front) and BJP in their letters of support submitted to the governor had clearly expressed support to the government led by Conrad K Sangma."

The NPP stitched a non-Congress government by bringing almost regional parties -- NPP (19), UDP (6), PDF (4), HSPDP (2), BJP (2) and the Nationalist Congress Party (1) besides 2 Independents.

Meghalaya has a 60-member assembly, but elections were held for 59 seats due to the killing of a candidate.

IMAGE: Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma shakes hands with BJP president Amit Shah as Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma looks on during the former's swearing-in ceremony. Photograph: PTI Photo