Conrad Sangma sworn in as Meghalaya chief minister
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP) contested the assembly elections separately but later got into a post-poll alliance to form the new government
Conrad Sangma was on Tuesday sworn in as the Meghalaya chief minister for the second successive term in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Governor Phagu Chauhan administered the oath of office to Sangma, along with his two deputies Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhaland Dhar, and nine other ministers.
The new government, which will be called the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance 2.0, has one woman minister in M Ampareen Lyngdoh.
Other members of the new cabinet include Rakkam A Sangma, Marcuise M Marak, AT Mondal and Comingone Ymbon, all from Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP).
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The United Democratic Party is represented by Paul Lyngdoh and Kyrmen Shylla, and the BJP by AL Hek. Shakliar Warjri has got the Hill State People’s Democratic Party’s slot.
The BJP and NPP contested the assembly polls last month separately, but later got into a post-poll alliance to form the new government. While the NPP improved its tally to 25 from the 20 seats it won in 2018, falling short of the majority in the 60-member assembly, the BJP managed to secure two seats.
Pics | Conrad Sangma takes oath as Meghalaya CM for 2nd consecutive term
Modi earlier flew to Meghalaya via Guwahati for a two-day visit to the northeast to attend the oath-taking ceremonies of the new governments in Nagaland and Tripura as well.
The PM will now travel to Kohima where Neiphiu Rio is set to take over as the Nagaland chief minister for a fifth term today. Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and ally BJP won 37 out of 60 seats in the assembly polls held last month.
On Wednesday, Modi will visit Agartala to participate in the oath-taking ceremony of the BJP-led government in Tripura. The BJP on Monday staked claim to form the government in Tripura after Manik Saha was re-elected as the party’s legislative leader.
Modi will fly back to Guwahati on Wednesday and chair a meeting of the Group of Ministers. The progress and implementation of developmental schemes in Assam will be discussed at the meeting.