Video Producer: Mayank Chawla
Video Editor: Rajbir Singh
Conrad Sangma of the National People's Party is set to retain his chief ministership in Meghalaya as his party won 26 seats out of 59 seats in the results declared on Thursday, 2 March.
A voter turnout of 77 percent was recorded in the election held on 27 February. The election was not held in East Khasi hill's Sohiong constituency due to the death of United Democratic Party leader HDR Lyngdoh.
The NPP, which had fought elections alone, has bettered its last term's score of 19 seats. Even though it has emerged as the single largest party, Sangma, like the last time, will have to take help from the BJP and other smaller parties to form the government. The majority mark in Meghalaya is 31.
The United Democratic Party won 11 seats, Voice of the People Party 4, BJP 2, Trinamool Congress 5, Hill State People’s Democratic Party 2 and independent candidates won in 2 constituencies.
The Congress party has suffered a major setback in the state by winning just five seats. The party's state chief and Shillong MP Vincent H Pala also lost to NPP’s Santa Mary Shylla by 1,828 votes in the Sutnga Saipung constituency.
In 2018, the Congress had emerged as the single largest party by winning 21 seats.
At that time, Sangma, whose party had won two seats less than Congress, had managed to stitch a post-poll alliance with the BJP and other regional parties to form the government. The parties in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance were the NPP, UDP, PDF, HSPDP and the BJP.
While the Trinamool Congress too was in the fray this time, contesting on 56 seats, it won only on five seats. However, the TMC candidate managed to register a big upset by defeating chief minister's brother, James Pangsang K. Sangma, by just 18 votes in the Dadenggre constituency.
Of the 60 Assembly constituencies in Meghalaya, 36 constituencies fall in Khasi, Jaintia Hills region while 24 are in the Garo Hills region.
Looking at the results it is evident that Sangma didn't suffer from the anti-incumbency factor and voters seem to have rewarded his governance style and developmental policies.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted saying that Sangma is in talks with union home minister Amit Shah, thus hinting that the NPP leader has already sprung into action regarding post-poll alliance.
Sangma took the mantle of NPP after his father and former chief minister PA Sangma's death in 2016.
Conrad Kongkal Sangma was born on 27 January 1978 in Tura town of West Garo Hills district, and completed his primary education from St Columba's School in New Delhi. He pursued a BBA in Entrepreneurial Management and an MBA in Finance from University of Pennsylvania and Imperial College London respectively.
Along with his brother James, he was inducted into the state Assembly after the 2008 state elections. Gaining popularity in that year itself, he was made the Cabinet minister for finance, power, and tourism in the state government. At the young age of 30, he became the finance minister of Meghalaya.
In 2009, he was elected to the position of Leader of Opposition of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, a role he carried out till 2013.
After his father PA Sangma passed away in 2016, he was elected as the Member of Parliament from his hometown constituency of Tura. Now he will take oath as chief minister for the second consecutive time.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)