All arrangements are being made to bring the mortal remains of Meghalaya assembly speaker Donkupar Roy to Shillong by Monday morning.
Roy passed away on Sunday afternoon at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram following brief illness.
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Roy, the President of the United Democratic Party (UDP) was admitted to the hospital for treatment in New Delhi last week.
“All arrangements are being made to bring the body to Shillong on Monday morning,” Sohra Member of District Council (MDC) Titosstarwell Chyne told this reporter over phone from New Delhi.
The UDP MDC said that no decision has been made so far for the funeral.
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The body is likely to be flown in special flight from New Delhi on Monday morning.
Roy was elected as Speaker of the tenth Meghalaya Assembly on March 12, 2018.
He led the UDP, the biggest regional political party in Meghalaya, as president from 2003 till date. He became the UDP leader in 2003 replacing former chief minister and former speaker late EK Mawlong.
He was first elected as member of the State Assembly from Shella constituency in 1988. Since then, he got elected from Shella Constituency till the 2018 Assembly polls for the seventh consecutive time.
Under Roy’s leadership, the UDP has led the coalition Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government together with the NCP, which was then led by former Lok Sabha speaker late Purno Agitok Sangma.
However, he got the opportunity to lead the state as chief minister only for one year. He took oath as chief minister on March 19, 2008 but the MPA government collapsed on March 19, 2009.
He was one among the political leaders in Meghalaya who had held all important posts, finance minister, deputy chief minister, chief minister and speaker. He was also the chairman of the Meghalaya State Planning Board.
The UDP under his leadership had also formed governments with the Congress under the chief ministership of former Congress leader D.D. Lapang and the present Congress leader Mukul Sangma.
Now, the UDP is part of the coalition Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by the National People’s Party (NPP) with Conrad K. Sangma as chief minister.
The UDP has seven MLAs, but with the demise of Roy, the number of party MLAs reduced to six in the 60-member assembly.
With the passing away of the Roy, not only the UDP, but members of the state assembly too has to elect a new speaker in place of Roy.