Meghalaya: Conrad Sangma holds key meeting with alliance partners ahead of swearing in tomorrow

Sangma said that in the last 3 days a broad consensus has been arrived at regarding cabinet berths to BJP and UDP MLAs but more talks would be held

NPP Chief Conrad Sangma is holding a key meet with the alliance partners today ahead of the swearing in ceremony tomorrow. NPP’s allies this time are BJP, UDP, HSPDP, UDF and two independent MLAs.

“I will be meeting the coalition partners and we will be finalizing many things including the name for the coalition and positions of MLAs of the allies. The final formation of the government will take place once the MDA meeting is over,” Sangma said briefing the media a short while back.

Responding to UDP demanding 3 cabinet berths and the BJP demanding 2 cabinet berths, Sangma said, “When we work in a coalition everybody would want to take care of their members and want to have different positions, so that ultimately they can serve in a larger capacity. It is natural. But we also have to see the overall situation, the combinations that we have and we have to see how practical it is, so that we can carry everbody along. We need to work together and decide. So there will be discussions, there is no problem in that.”

“There are lot of discussions and lot of requests that has come in. We are in detailed discussion with all of them discussing what is possible and what is not possible. And broadly, as I said in the last 3 days we have been able to come to a broad understanding which I will announce post the meeting of the MDA,” the CM designate said.

On UDP and PDF extending support to the NPP just ahead of the government formation, Sangma said that he was engaged in several round of discussions with both the parties.

“After taking my team into confidence, I personally had then met the different leaders of PDF and the leaders of the UDP many many times. I requested them that let us work together again. I visited the residence of Metbah Lyngdoh, who is the president of the UDP, and I requested him and said that let us forget our differences or whatever challenges we had during the election and let us work together. After a long discussion on many issues, he (Metbah Lyngdoh) said he will discuss with his people and his members and he will get back. Similarly the PDF also, I approached them and I requested them, that comeback and lets do things together.”

Conrad Sangma added that the whole spirit of teamwork is important to serve the causes of the people and take the state forward. Though differences do crop up among the political parties, especially during elections, it is important that the differences must be set aside for the larger good of the state.

“We (UDP & PDF) were together in the MDA for the last 5 years and the last 5 years in the previous government threw lot of challenges and difficulties. We worked as a team and to be very very frank, I believe in teamwork. And yes when the elections came, we had different concerns, different issues. We campaigned in our own way. Some speeches were given, which did not go too well with some other party or candidates. But at the end of the day, no relationship, no coalition is perfect. We will have differences, we will have challenges. But I think the whole spirit of teamwork is important.”

Sangma who will take oath tomorrow as Meghalaya CM for a second term, said that his main motto will be to serve the people by taking everyone on board.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders would be attending the swearing in tomorrow.

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