The Congress in Meghalaya is “prepared to wait” for the Manipur political drama to have a “ripple effect”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a minor partner of the National People’s Party (NPP), which heads the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government. All four legislators of the NPP had pulled out of the BJP-led alliance government in Manipur, leaving Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren short of majority.
“We will wait and watch since the development in Manipur is expected to have a ripple effect in our State,” said H.M. Shangpliang, the spokesperson of the Congress in Meghalaya.
The Congress in Meghalaya has 19 MLAs in the 60-member House. The MDA has 41, of which 21 are of the NPP and two of the BJP. The others mostly belong to the regional parties.
The MDA government headed by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has been under pressure from the Congress as well as coalition partners over lack of transparency and accountability.
Meghalaya’s BJP leaders, however, have denied any rift with NPP. “Meghalaya and Manipur are different States with different issues. Besides, our coalition is in a comfortable majority,” senior BJP legislator and Health Minister Alexander L. Hek told newspersons in State capital Shillong.
