New Delhi: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangama on Friday submitted his resignation letter before Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan and put forth a claim to form the new government.
"BJP has given us its formal support. We will meet the Governor and request him to call us and invite the National People’s Party (NPP) to form the government. BJP and other political parties have given their support. We have numbers to form government," he said before meeting the Governor, as per news agency ANI.
"We will let you know as to how (many poltical parties are supporting us). We've been communicated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and maybe PM will attend the swearing-in ceremony. We are waiting for the confirmation from PMO (sic)," he added.
Notably, the Meghalaya Chief Minister also responded to post-poll result violence in parts of the state saying, "It's unfortunate. This shouldn't have happened. The violence took place at different places but the situation is under control. I urge people and all political parties that elections are over and violence is not the way forward. They should not indulge in any kind of violence."
The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya emerged as the single-largest party in the state on Thursday, winning 26 seats out of the 59 constituencies. However, it fell short of gaining a majority in the 60-member assembly.
Meanwhile, the BJP, which had brought star campaigners such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, managed to win only two seats.
The United Democratic Party (UDP), which was 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.
The Congress was quick to criticise NPP's decision to seek the support of its erstwhile partner BJP to form the next government in the state as a "paradox" as the saffron party's central leadership had described the Conrad K Sangma dispensation as one of the "most corrupt" in the country.
"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?" Congress MLA Ronny V Lyngdoh told news agency PTI.
More On It: 'There Lies The Paradox': Congress On NPP Seeking BJP's Support In Meghalaya