NCP wins lone Meghalaya RS seat

SHILLONG, March 27 ? The Congress in Meghalaya suffered a major setback when sitting Rajya Sabha member OL Nongtdu received a drubbing in the contest to the lone seat from the state in the upper House today. Robert Kharshiing, president of NCP made it to the Rajya Sabha securing 46 seats against only 14 byNontdu in a house of sixty. More worrisome for the Congress was the fact that it could secure only14 votes though its strength in the House was 16, indicating that two of its members had cross-voted in favour of the NCP candidate. This is the second setback for the Congress during the last fortnight. Earlier it was snubbed by the NCP when seven of its ministers were unceremoniously dropped from the NCP-led coalition ministry by Chief Minister Dr FA Khonglam. The rift between the coalition partners arose over the question of a consensus candidate for the Rajya Sabha from the ruling People?s Forum of Meghalaya (PFM). The Congress turned down NCP?s request to withdraw its candidate while two other allies, the regional UDP and MUDP withdraw their candidates in favour of Kharshiing.