Shillong, November 2: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday confirmed that three sitting Members of District Council (MDCs) belonging to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will formally join the National People’s Party (NPP) on November 4, even as he clarified that no communication had been received regarding the possible joining of TMC legislators.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said the induction of the three TMC MDCs into the NPP had been confirmed and further details would be announced on the scheduled date. “We will be having three sitting MDCs from the TMC who are joining us on November 4. So we will talk about that on November 4,” the Chief Minister said.
Asked about reports suggesting that TMC MLAs could also join the ruling party, Sangma said no such proposal or communication had reached him. “No such communication has come to me. Let us wait and watch as the situation unfolds. Right now, day after tomorrow’s programme is confirmed — TMC MDCs are joining us,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister dismissed allegations that the NPP was attempting to weaken or eliminate its coalition partners, particularly the United Democratic Party (UDP), following the recent political developments that saw 11 UDP legislators joining the BJP and NPP. Responding to allegations by the Congress that the NPP was systematically wiping out its coalition partners, including the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) earlier and the UDP now, Sangma maintained that the decisions were made independently by the legislators concerned. “It is not about wiping out anybody. We have been working with all the concerned individuals for a very long time now and the individual MLAs have felt that they would want to come and work with the NPP and have expressed their faith in the party, they have expressed their faith in the leadership,” he said.
Sangma asserted that the legislators had joined the NPP voluntarily with the objective of strengthening the party and ensuring greater stability in the government. He said the political realignments would help the ruling party function more effectively during the remaining tenure of the government while also preparing for the 2028 Assembly elections. “It is purely a decision that has been made by the individual MLAs. It is not that we have been trying to move around and deliberately trying to break individuals, especially the coalition partners,” Sangma clarified. He added that as a political party, the NPP would naturally seek to expand its organisational strength and political presence.
The Chief Minister further emphasised that political stability was essential for effective governance, consistent policymaking and long-term development. “Political stability is absolutely necessary for good governance to happen and firm policies to be taken and those decisions being stuck with,” he said. According to Sangma, the recent political developments should instil greater confidence among the people by indicating the possibility of long-term stability in the state government. He assured the people of Meghalaya and the legislators supporting the government that the NPP-led administration would continue to function in a stable and committed manner, keeping the interests of the state and its people as its foremost priority.
On the resignation of UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh from the Cabinet, Sangma categorically denied that the former Power Minister had been pressured to step down. He maintained that Metbah had taken the decision voluntarily following the departure of 11 UDP legislators from the party. “Coming to Metbah’s decision, it was purely his own decision. There was no pressure from our side as such,” the Chief Minister said. Sangma explained that Metbah had approached him and expressed his view that, on moral grounds, he should no longer remain in the Cabinet after the majority of UDP legislators had left the party. “He strongly felt that 11 of the MLAs had left and so he felt that on a more moral ground that he should not be part of the cabinet,” Sangma stated. He said the departure of the legislators had created a complicated political situation, particularly in terms of numbers and coalition arrangements.
After Metbah submitted his resignation letter, Sangma said he accepted it. The Chief Minister acknowledged that politics and governance often required difficult decisions, even when those decisions were not necessarily desirable. “Sometimes decisions are very tough. To be very frank, it is not simple for us also to take those decisions. It is not that we want to take those decisions but things happened and in politics and in governance, we need to take tough decisions,” he said.
Sangma reiterated that the recent political changes were not intended to undermine coalition partners but were part of the NPP’s efforts to strengthen the government and ensure political stability ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
