The BJP and the National People's Party have stitched a post-poll alliance to form the government in Meghalaya after the NPP failed to get an absolute majority in the state, following which it asked the saffron party's support -- which has been termed as a 'paradox' by the Congress.
Congress MLA Ronny V Lyngdoh, who won from the Mylliem assembly constituency, said the opposition will continue to work with like-minded parties despite facing a defeat.
"There lies the paradox. Union Home Minister Amit Shah says that this (NPP) is the most corrupt government. How can they work with the same party?" Lyngdoh told PTI.
Addressing a poll rally in North Tura constituency, Shah had on February 16 said the BJP broke its alliance with the NPP before the elections in Meghalaya so that it could contest all the assembly seats and emerge stronger.
The National People's Party secured 26 seats, while the BJP bagged just 2 in the Meghalaya Assembly elections 2023. The BJP had won the same number of seats in the 2018 assembly election. The NPP, however, bettered its tally over the previous election, when it had won 20 seats.
To form a stable government, the alliance will need at least 31 seats in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly. However, even after a post-poll alliance with the BJP and the NPP are falling short of the majority mark by three seats. With this, the predictions of a hung assembly in Meghalaya seems to be coming to a reality.
However, CM Sangma now has the option of going back to one or more of his old allies in the state to get to the majority mark.
Thanking the BJP, Meghalaya CM Sangma tweeted: "Thank you @BJP4Meghalaya for reaching out to the NPP and for extending your support to our party to form the Government. We will continue to work together to serve Meghalaya and its people."
The United Democratic Party (UDP), which was the NPP's ally in the Sangma government, emerged as the second-largest party, winning 11 constituencies. It had won only six seats in the 2018 polls.
The Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC won five seats each, while the BJP secured two assembly segments.
"Was not the BJP part of the NPP-led government for the full five years? When you are saying that it is the most corrupt government, are you not blaming yourself? Their party was part of the alliance from the beginning to the end. If corruption was there, they are also equally to be blamed and responsible," Lyngdoh said.
He also said that the Congress will continue to work to remove economic inequality.
"We will work with like-minded parties. We will work with parties which believe in pluralism, secularism and rule of law, uphold the Constitution and democracy," Lyngdoh added.
(With inputs from PTI)