With the merger of a regional political party, the National People’s Party (NPP) has increased its number of MLAs in Meghalaya to 28. Photo Credit: PTI
Guwahati With the merger of a regional political party, the National People’s Party (NPP) has increased its number of MLAs in Meghalaya to 28.
The NPP is three seats short of a simple majority in the 60-member Meghalaya House.
Chief Minister Konrad K. The NPP under Sangma won 26 seats in the February 27 assembly polls, compared to 19 in 2018, while the six-year-old People’s Democratic Front (PDF) won two.
National President of NPP Mr. Sangma described the merger as a marriage between the two parties after a romance of five years.
“The love story that started a long time ago has ended today (May 6) in the wedding ceremony. We look at things from the same perspective and have the same goals, vision and ideas for our state,” he said after signing the merger document with PDF chief Gavin Miguel Maylim.
Mr Maylim is one of the two PDF MLAs. The other is the party’s working president Bantidor Lyngdoh.
A merger document with conditions stipulated by the PDF, such as implementation of the Inner-Line Permit (ILP), settlement of the boundary line with Assam and recognition of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, was also signed by Mr. Sangma and Mr. Mylim.
ILP is a temporary travel document for Indians entering certain areas of the Northeast. This system is currently implemented in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Stating that NPP is one of the six national parties in the country, Mr. Sangma said that it has seven MLAs in Manipur and a good network.
NPP was also able to help students stranded in Manipur. He said that no other political party of Meghalaya would be able to provide such support.
Mr. Lyngdoh said that the merger was not possible, solely by Mr. Maylim and his decision-making or wanting, but because of the support of the PDF’s General Executive Council.
On the two parties turning against each other during the election campaign, he said, “There is no permanent friend and foe in politics.”