The former Lok Sabha member from Tura and present MLA of South Tura constituency, Agatha K Sangma, has resigned as member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Monday.
(Agatha has resigned to pave way for her brother and Chief Minister (CM), Conrad K Sangma, who will have to contest a byelection from the said constituency so that he can continue as the CM).
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Confirming this, Meghalaya Assembly’s Commissioner and Secretary, Andrew Simons, said that the South Tura legislator handed over her resignation letter to the Deputy Speaker, Timothy D Shira, and the same was sent to the Speaker, Donkupar Roy.
Stating that the Speaker has accepted Agatha’s resignation, the Assembly official said that a notification in this regard has also been issued by the Assembly Secretariat.
Agatha was elected as member of the Tenth Meghalaya Assembly from the South Tura constituency on a National People’s Party (NPP) ticket in the Assembly elections held in February 2018.
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Conrad, who took oath as the CM on March 6 this year, is currently the Lok Sabha MP from Tura parliamentary constituency. He is the national president of the National People’s Party (NPP) and is leading a six-party coalition – Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Government in Meghalaya.
On June 21 last, senior Congress MLA, Martin M Danggo, also resigned as the member of the Assembly from Ranikor constituency. Danggo is joining the NPP and would seek re-election on a NPP ticket when byelection to the Ranikor Assembly seat is conducted.
With the resignation of Agatha and Danggo, the strength of the 60-member Assembly has been reduced to 58 at present. Currently, the ruling NPP has 19 MLAs, while the Opposition Congress has 20 MLAs.