NCP MLA Joins Congress in Meghalaya

Shillong, Jan 23 (IANS) In the run up to the February 27 Assembly elections, shifting of loyalty of MLAs continued in Meghalaya with lone Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator on Monday quitting the Assembly and the party before joining opposition Congress.

So far, 19 Meghalaya MLAs have resigned from the Assembly and their respective parties and joined different other parties in around two months.

NCP MLA Saleng Sangma, a senior politician in northeastern state, has submitted his resignation letter to Commissioner and Secretary of Meghalaya Assembly Andrew Simons.

Sangma was elected to the Assembly in 2018 from the Gambegre constituency in the West Garo Hills district.

Twelve MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma (2010-2018) who had won in the 2018 Assembly election as Congress nominees, joined the Trinamool Congress in November 2021, making the West Bengal-based party the main opposition in the northeastern state overnight.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress won 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly but subsequently all its legislators joined other parties including the Trinamool and the ruling NPP.

Of the 12 Trinamool MLAs, five so far have quit the party to join other parties.