NPP’s strength rises to 31 as 3 Cong MLAs switch party

Shillong: Ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya got a boost with three Congress MLAs — Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning constituency), Charles Marngar (Mawhati), and Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin) — joining the party on Monday.
The three MLAs joined the NPP, which leads the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA)-2 govt, in the presence of chief minister and NPP president Conrad K Sangma, deputy CM Prestone Tynsong, and other NPP officials.
Meghalaya legislative assembly speaker, Thomas Sangma, recognised the joining of the MLAs. He said out of the total four Congress MLAs, majority MLAs merged with the NPP, leaving Ronnie V Lyngdoh (Mylliem) as the lone Congress MLA in the state.
With this merger, the NPP’s strength has increased to 31 MLAs in the 60-member assembly.
The Gambegre assembly seat is currently vacant after Saleng Sangma’s resignation and election to Parliament from Tura. The opposition Congress had earlier suspended Marngar and Wahlang for anti-party activities.
CM Sangma welcomed the new members, and said, “Our role as a govt is to ensure maximum development for the people of Meghalaya. We have set clear goals for the next decade, and we are working to achieve those. We welcome anyone who wants to be part of the success story.”