Next Move To Be Decided After Final Results, Says Conrad Sangma As NPP Moves Towards Majority Mark In Meghalaya

NPP chief Conrad Sangma has thanked people for voting for the party in Meghalaya and said the next move will be decided after the final results.

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma. ( Image Source :Pallav Bora )

Guwahati: Amid fears of a  hung assembly, BJP's estranged ally National People’s Party (NPP) is leading but yet to get the magical number in the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Meghalaya appears to be headed towards a hung assembly, with no party seemingly getting a clear majority yet.

Till the filing of this report, the NPP had won five seats and was leading in 21 seats, still five short of the majority mark.

Meanwhile, NPP’s South Tura candidate Conrad K Sangma, who is also the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, was leading from the constituency securing a total of 10,090 votes, just ahead of militant-turned-politician and BJP candidate from the constituency Bernard Marak, who has bagged 7,260 votes so far.

“Thanks to the people of the state for having voted for our party, we are very thankful to them and of course, we are short of a few numbers but we will wait for the final results to come out and then we will decide how to move forward, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told the media.”

Asked about stitching a poll-poll alliance with other parties if the NPP fails to get an absolute majority, Chief Minister Sangma said, “Let us see, I have not even got a chance to meet my people, so all the thinking will start after that.”

Counting of votes for the 59 Assembly constituencies that went to polling on February 27 began at 8 am on Thursday and is still underway.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) website, so far, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has won one and is leading in four other Assembly constituencies.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is racing ahead towards a comfortable win in the two northeastern states of Nagaland and Tripura as votes are being counted since Thursday morning in three northeastern states including Meghalaya.

On the other hand, the BJP has been leading in three, Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) won two, Independents leading in two, Indian National Congress (INC) won one and leading in four, NPP won five and leading in 20, People’s Democratic Front (PDF) leading in two, United Democratic Party (UDP) won three and leading in eight and Voice of the People Party won one and leading in three others.