Meghalaya: Major setback for Congress, three MLAs join NPP

Shillong: In a significant political shake-up in Meghalaya, three Congress MLAs—Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh, Charles Marngar, and Gabriel Wahlang—officially joined the National People’s Party (NPP) on Monday evening, marking a critical shift in the state's legislative landscape.

The defections come just days after the Congress made a last-ditch effort to retain its members by suspending Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin constituency) and Charles Marngar (Mawhati constituency) for six years on August 16, 2024.

The party’s move aimed to prevent the MLAs from defecting by leveraging the anti-defection law, which could have led to their disqualification. In a strategic maneuver, the Congress spared Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning constituency) in an attempt to retain him within its fold, considering him a potential 'trump card' who could influence the outcome of the defections.

However, despite Congress’s efforts, all three MLAs decided to leave the party, with Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh joining his colleagues in the NPP later in the day.

The move bolstered the NPP’s strength to 31 MLAs, giving the party a clear majority in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

This defection leaves the Congress with just one MLA, Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, in the state assembly.

The opposition has been significantly weakened as a result, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) now holding five seats and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) holding four, reducing the total opposition count to a mere ten seats.

The three legislators met with Meghalaya Speaker Thomas A. Sangma on Monday to complete the formalities of their merger with the NPP.

Their defection was celebrated by a host of senior NPP leaders, including Chief Minister and NPP national president Conrad K. Sangma, state president and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, and national general secretary and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who welcomed them at a ceremony in Shillong.

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who had cut short his tour of the Garo Hills, returned to Shillong on Monday evening to personally oversee the induction of the former Congress MLAs into the NPP.