Who Will be the Leader of Opposition in Meghalaya Assembly? Will it be Mukul Sangma?

Meghalaya Assembly awaits a decision on who will succeed Saleng A Sangma as the Opposition Chief Whip and if former Meghalaya CM and present Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Sangma will be made the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly because of his seniority despite TMC not meeting the LoP criteria.

Speaker Thomas A Sangma has stated that he is still consulting and examining the matter and is yet to make a final decision.

Speaking to Northeast Live, he said, “We are still in the process of consulting the matter and have not yet made a final decision. As the situation progresses, we will reach a decision.”

According to Speaker Sangma, Assembly rules require a party to hold at least 10 per cent of the total seats in the House to qualify for the Leader of the Opposition post. In the 59-member Assembly, this threshold stands at six seats. Currently, no opposition party meets this criterion. The TMC holds five seats, while the Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) and Congress each have four seats.

“To qualify for the position of Leader of the Opposition, a party must hold a minimum of 10 percent of the total seats in the Assembly. In the 59-member Assembly of Meghalaya, this would mean a party needs to have at least six seats. At present, no opposition party fulfils this requirement”, he said.

Adding to the uncertainty, the Gambegre seat remains vacant following Saleng A Sangma’s resignation after winning the Tura MP seat. This development has placed further responsibility on the Speaker to determine whether Dr Mukul Sangma, a seven-time MLA and the longest-serving legislator in the Assembly, qualifies for the Leader of the Opposition role despite the seat deficit.

It may be mentioned that the Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) has already distanced itself from the issue. In a letter last month, signed by Mawryngkneng MLA Heavingstone Kharpran, the party expressed concern over being mentioned in media reports regarding the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition. The letter clarified that the VPP has no role in the matter.

Speaker Sangma emphasized that while a decision might be made during the upcoming Assembly session, no specific timeline has been set. The final decision now rests with Speaker Thomas Sangma, who will consider the current political dynamics in the Assembly and make an informed decision in due course.

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