Conrad Sangma returns as Meghalaya CM, sworn in as 13th Chief Minister

Conrad Sangma, national president of the National People’s Party (NPP) was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Meghalaya today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam CM and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, Sikkim CM PS Tamang, BJP President JP Nadda, and other senior leaders were present at the swearing-in ceremony of Conrad Sangma-led government in the state.              

Also present were Conrad Sangma’s mother Soradini Sangma, wife Mehtab Chandee, and brother James Sangma.

Meghalaya TMC leaders including president Charles Pyngrope and Mukul Sangma did not attend the swearing in ceremony.

Sangma has become the Chief Minister of Meghalaya for a second consecutive term. He was administered the oath by Governor Phagu Chauhan at the swearing-in ceremony in Shillong along with 11 ministers from alliance partners BJP, HSPDP, UDP, PDF and Independents having a combined strength of 45 in the House of 60.

“Humbled by this great honour to serve Meghalaya as its Chief Minister for the second term. Congratulations to all the Cabinet Ministers of MDA 2.0. My Cabinet & I will serve the people & our state with renewed dedication, keeping our oath of service Khublei, Mitela & Jai Hind!,” tweeted Sangma after sworn in as 13th CM of Meghalaya.

Conrad, father of two lovely daughters, who is fond of singing and playing the guitar, would once again be heading a team of 11 Cabinet ministers— eight from his own party NPP, two from UDP and one each from the BJP and the HSPDP.

Four of them including Chief Minister are from the Garo Hills region and 8 of the cabinet ministers are from the Khasi-Jaintia hills region.

The NPP emerged as the single-largest party in Meghalaya winning 26 seats out of the 60 constituencies that went to vote on February 27. Thirty-one is the number needed to form government in a 60-member Assembly. The number of seats won by NPP, BJP, HSPDP, PDF, UDP and the Independents adds up to 45, comfortable number for the NPP and its allies to form the government.

CM Conrad Sangma contested and won from the South Tura constituency defeating his rival BJP’s Bernard Marak with 10,090 votes.

Son of late PA Sangma, the former Lok Sabha Speaker and a veteran and much respected politician not just of Meghalaya but of entire northeast, Conrad, 45, was Lok Sabha MP (2016-18) from Tura. He had served as the youngest Finance Minister of Meghalaya in 2008.

A Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania and Imperial College, London product, Conrad had started his political career in the late 1990s as campaign manager for his father who was with the NCP then.

He beat allegations of corruption, lack of development, illegal coal trade and ILP issues to win the 2023 polls.

By Lipika Roy