Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, heading the six-party non-Congress government, on Monday won the floor test in the assembly by a voice vote.
The floor test came after the electorate of the state threw up a fractured verdict and one week after the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government was installed.
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As the newly elected Speaker Donkupar Roy was about to put the confidence motion to vote, the leader of opposition Mukul Sangma rose up and asked which party is leading the government.
“We would like to know whether it is NPP-led government, BJP-led government or a conglomeration of parties which is leading the government,” the veteran Congress leader said.
Cornering the BJP, Mukul said that “It is obvious that the mandate given by the people is a fractured mandate. Looking at the background of the whole election campaign, the mandate of the people is to form a government without the BJP.”
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“The political parties in their election campaigns have promised the innocent people of the State that they have no access to the BJP. Various political parties had also clearly stated they will not have any connection with the party,” he said.
While informing the House that he is heading the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government-led by the NPP, Conrad said that he has the support of the United Democratic Party, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party, People’s Democratic Front besides Independents.
However, he did not mention the name of the BJP, while BJP minister Alexander Hek and another BJP legislator Sanbor Shullai defended the saffron party of being part of the government.
“BJP is a secular party and not anti-people,” Shullai was heard shouting.
“It is very clear that this is a Meghalaya Democratic Alliance coalition government headed by the NPP. I don’t think there is any kind of doubt on this. Even in the letter of support of the MLAs which was submitted to the Governor (Ganga Prasad) all have mentioned that they are expressing their support for the NPP led Government under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma,” the Chief Minister said.
The six-party MDA coalition includes 19 members from the National People’s Party, six from the United Democratic Party, four from the the People’s Democratic Front, two each from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP, one from the Nationalist Congress Party besides one Independent.
The NPP, which won 19 assembly seats in the just concluded polls, is the second largest party after the Congress with 21 seats.