Meghalaya elections results; political parties eye post-poll alliances

Now that the results have been declared in the state of Meghalaya, which party will rule the state? Who all will join hands?

The Congress has won 21 seats, whereas its rival BJP-NPP alliance secured the same number of seats in the Meghalaya Assembly elections, according to Election Commission. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won two seats, and its National People’s Party (NPP) won 19 seats in the Meghalaya Assembly. With the initial trends favoring Congress, two senior party leaders had arrived in Shillong to ponder over government formation possibilities with local leaders.

As for other parties in the fray, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has won six seats in total in the Meghalaya Assembly. The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) has won in four constituencies that went to polls. The Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) has won two seats. The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has won in one seat.

Independent candidates have secured a win in three constituencies of the state.  Nationalist Congress Party won only one seat. Incumbent Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has won from Songsak and Ampati constituencies.

Polling for 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly was held on February 27.

READ ALSO: To avoid a Goa repeat, Congress leaders rushing to Meghalaya

It is a hung Assembly in Meghalaya. With election trends showing Congress as the single-largest party in Meghalaya in this Assembly elections, the party rushed two senior leaders to the north-eastern state to explore possibilities of forming a government. BJP could come out on top by the way of an after-poll alliance. With BJP and its ally NPP managing to secure the same number of seats as Congress, this becomes even more probable.

According to sources, senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath are in Shillong to work out possible tie-ups with independents in Meghalaya to form a government there. Sources said Patel and Nath would land in Shillong post noon and will hold discussions with party leaders there, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma.

The urgency in Congress’ decision comes in the backdrop of criticism in the past that the party was unprepared in Goa and Manipur, giving the edge to BJP. The party failed to form the government in these two states even after emerging as the largest contender during the Assembly polls last year.

The Congress holds power in Meghalaya and is set to emerge as the single largest party in the state, according to trends available for most of the seats in the state. It is one of the five states currently held by the Congress, the other being Punjab, Karnataka, Mizoram, and Puducherry.