3 Congress MLAs merge with NPP, Sangma assures different developmental projects

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 19, 2024

In a major boost, the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has achieved absolute majority with the formal merging of three Congress MLAs to its fold on Monday. 

The merger of the three Congress MLAs – Dr Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning), Charles Marngar (Mawhati) and Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin) – has increased the NPP’s strength to 31 in the 59-member House. The Congress has been reduced to one MLA.

With this, the total strength of the opposition in the Assembly now stand at 10 of which 5 are from Trinamool Congress, 4 Voice of the People Party and 1 Congress.

As soon as the merger got the recognition of the Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma, the three Congress MLAs were welcomed to the NPP by its national president and chief minister Conrad K Sangma in presence of state president and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong, national general secretary and deputy chief minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, former president and Rajya Sabha MP Dr WR Kharlukhi and others.

Terming the occasion as a historic moment for the NPP, Conrad K Sangma said, “With the joining and the merging of our three friends (from the Congress), today the strength of the NPP stands at 31 MLAs in the State Legislative Assembly, which as mentioned is an absolute majority.”

“We thanked the leaders, who have joined us today and merged with the party. This has obviously given a boost to the party but more importantly it has reinforced our commitment towards serving the people and taking the state forward,” he said while adding “The NPP started with a very humble beginning and today to see not just the galaxy of people who are here with us but more importantly the quality of the people who are with us, gives me alot of sense of hope for the future of our party as well as the future of our state.”

Conrad also rubbished the allegations made by Congress chief Vincent H Pala that NPP is using illegal money to poach the party MLAs and said, “I don’t want to comment on such derogatory comment but this particular decisin and understanding has been reached purely on the basis of developmental aspects of the constituency and that is what driven this particular decision and that is the reason why it took such a long time to come together to discuss issues about the constituencies, to workout a framework in which we will be able to give different developmental projects.”

“So whatever the MPCC president is saying are his personal opinions, which are completely untrue and whatever decision we have arrived at is purely driven by developmental aspects and packages for the respective constituencies of the MLAs,” he added.

Asked, the NPP national chief that the three Congress MLAs have merged with the party without any conditions.

“As I said of course there are two aspects, one is at the party level and one is at the government level. Number one, we have been very clear that and the MLAs have also been very clear that they are not coming into the party for any personal gains or any kind of personal positions and hence before we started with the discussion that they had outrightly told me that we will not talk anything about our personal gains or positions, we are here purely to discuss about the constituencies and the developmental packages. So therefore, there is no conditions being laid by them,” he said.

Conrad also assured, “Of course in the future, we will work towards seeing how we can utilize their expertise, their experience, their knowledge, their capacity for the overall benefit of the state as well as the party. So that is what we are going to do.”

“I am very thankful to them that they have come in with no personal condition at all whether it is financial or any kind of power or position nothing of this sort it was purely on the basis of the desire to really see that their constituencies move forward. I am very impressed with that and that’s the reason why I have gone all the way to ensure that I will work with them to take their constituencies forward,” he said.

Further, the NPP national chief also assured Mawhati MLA Charles Marngar that his government will grant a block to his constituency.  “I will ensure I will change this and that we will give a block to Mawhati constituency, we will change what the people have to go through today, we will make a difference.”

Conrad also assured Nongstoin MLA to take the constituency to the heights that it deserved and said, “The different road projects, we mentioned today I have already moved the process to ensure these development isses are taken up.”

For Umsning constituency, the CM said the constituency is known for having huge potential in terms of agricultre, food processing etc.

“We need to start thinking on how Meghalaya specially Umsning and Mawhati will be able to take advantage of this entire development aspect that is taking place in Assam. Dr Bom (Celestine has great plans for the constituency and I want to assure him and his people that all the development plans that you have mentioned to me and discussed with me in details, I am giving you an assurance that we will work together to take your dreams and aspirations forward,” he stated.

In his speech, NPP state president Prestone Tynsong said, “We are now fully filled with joy from the party side being the state president specially I never ever expected that this moment we will be able to cross the magic number. The recent MP election has happened, we have seen people have talked so much about NPP but still God has a better plan for the NPP party inspite of so many challenges we have now we crossed the bridge.” 

“As the state president still I would like to inform all concerned and to any politicall party our door is still open for you to join, anytime you can come and merge with us. Doors is always open. No matter how you talk or throw stones but ultimately, the good work that we have tried all these years made people changed their mind,” he said.

Slamming those accusing the CM as a master in poaching MLAs, Tynsong said, “Yes, if you want to do that let us prove in Supreme Court, we are ready for that but let me tell you one thing this is not a place of drama, the family of NPP is a place to serve the state.”

He informed that he would be visiting all the three constituencies to hold a meeting with the MLAs of Nongstoin, Umsning and Mawhati after the upcoming Assembly session.