SHILLONG, Dec 15 ? In a day of fast-moving political developments, the NCP today split and joined the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government to be rewarded with four ministerial berths. With the split, the ruling MDA?s strength goes up to 49 in a house of sixty. NCP which had 15 members including an associate member has been reduced to nine as six of them formed a new group called Meghalaya NCP. The new faction has extended support to the ruling coalition. The BJP has two members in the house.
Rumours about a possible split in the NCP was doing the rounds since the last assembly elections when the results showed that the party?s hope to form the government has been dashed to the ground. The split has come as a big blow to Purno A Sangma, supposedly the undisputed leader of the Garo Hills from where 14 of the 15 NCP members were elected. Acting swiftly, the ruling alliance met in an emergency meeting this afternoon soon after the assembly?s first day of the winter session and approved the entry of the newly-formed MNCP into the government.
Four members from the MNCP were inducted into the 39-member Lapang council of ministry at a swearing-in ceremony organized at short notice at the Raj Bhawan here this evening. The oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers was administered by Meghalaya Governor MM Jacob. The four MNCP members inducted into the ministry are former Speaker ED Marak, Cyprian R Marak, Beckstar A Sangma and Brening A Sangma. The other two members in the new group are Nidhuram Hajong and Samuel M Sangma.
Stunned by the sudden development, most NCP members are declining to make any comment on the split. One NCP leader, however, alleged ?It is the conspiracy of the Congress to split the NCP. It is part of the Congress design to form an all-Congress government in the state .? A senior member of the MDP who is also a Cabinet Minister in the Lapang Government dismissed the charges as totally baseless. ?The NCP was hell-bent on toppling the government and the split in the party has thwarted their move?, he contended. According to NCP sources here, NCP National Secretary Purno A Sangma is rushing to the state capital here on December 17 in a bid to save the party.