Politics / Meghalaya

SHILLONG, March 4— The biggest-ever coalition ministry in Meghalaya was sworn-in here today with the former Deputy Chief Minister D D Lapang as the new Chief Minister. Apparently shaky over the fact that the last Assembly had been as many as six Governments in the span of five years, Lapang inducted a record 38 ministers-28 of Cabinet rank and the rest ten as Ministers of State in the two-tier Council of Ministers. State Governor, M M Jacob administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Council of Ministers at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhawan in the presence of a big gathering.

A...

SHILLONG, March 2 – Deputy Chief Minister D D Lapang accompanied by Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), President S C Marak staked claim to form a new Congress-led coalition government in the State before the Governor M M Jacab here this evening. A beaming Lapang told newsmen at the Raj Bhawan soon after meeting the Governor that he had submitted ‘letters of suport’ from United Democratic Party (UDP), and the Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP), which have 9 and 4 members respectively, to Jacob.

Three independents are also supporting the Congress taking the strength of the newly...

Shillong, March 1: The election results in Meghalaya are full of surprises, with some politicians facing the biggest upsets ever since the formation of the state in 1972.

Stalwarts who lost include former chief ministers E.K. Mawlong of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and PCC chief Salseng C. Marak.

The defeat of home minister Lotsing A. Sangma from Baghmara, six-time winner D.N. Joshi (Mawprem) of the Congress and former finance minister A.H. Scott Lyngdoh (Jaiaw) were equally unexpected.

Except for Salseng Marak and home minister Sangma, who lost the battle to their main political...

March 1: The Left Front has returned to power in Tripura while Meghalaya threw up a hung verdict, as had been widely expected. But the surprise came from Nagaland, as the ruling Congress stared at a possible ouster from power in an upsurge by the Nagaland People’s Front.

In Assam, the ruling Congress won the Ratabari Assembly byelection with its candidate, Kripanath Mallah, defeating his nearest BJP rival Sambhu Singh Mallah by 31,170 votes. Polling was necessitated following the death of Independent MLA Ratish Ranjan Choudhury.

In Nagaland, though the Congress emerged as the single largest...

SHILLONG, March 1— Meghalaya is heading towards yet another hung Assembly even as the Congress is emerging as the single largest party bagging 20 seats till late afternoon followed by the NCP with 10 and the United Democratic Party (UDP) with eight.

Till afternoon today, the BJP retained two of its seats with former home minister T H Rangad wining from the Laban constituency and A L Hek once again bagging the Pyuthorumkhrah seat.

Chief Minister Dr F A Khonglam who was denied ticket by the NCP retained his Sohra seat from HSPDP ticket defeating his nearest NCP rival. Deputy Chief Minister D D...

SHILLONG, Feb 26 — Sluggish polling in the election to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly in the morning today indicated a possible low polling in the state this time. According to state election authorities, after three hours of polling at 10 am, only 20 per cent of the nearly 12 lakh voters have exercised their franchise.

Several observers attributed the low turn-out to the disenchantment of the voters. The reasons are not far to see as historically, political instability has dogged the state since its birth. The last Assembly had witnessed a record six governments in the space of five years...

KOLKATA, Feb 26 – Seven persons, including five BSF personnel, were killed, three injured and a number of electronic voting machines were damaged in stray violence during polling for 60-member assemblies in the three northeastern states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya today, reports PTI. The turnout in Tripura was the highest – between 75 to 80 per cent, followed by 60 to 70 per cent in Nagaland and 55 per cent in Meghalaya. Taking into account the 50 per cent turnout in Himachal Pradesh the total turnout in the four states is 60 per cent, Election Commission sources said.

Five BSF...

Shillong, Feb. 20: There is a general disinterest in elections nowadays, but a small group of enthusiastic voters in Jirang constituency always look forward to the polls and enjoy the dubious privilege of being able to cast votes in both Assam and Meghalaya.

The hills surrounding Jirang, on the southern periphery of Guwahati, have witnessed a steady increase in the population of migrants over the years. The first objective of a new settler is to acquire political rights.

“Once you have voting rights, there are no legal means to banish you from the area,” says Indra Sharma, a resident of Nine...

Shillong, Feb. 18: Nartiang is internationally known for its monoliths and temples. But the people of this sleepy hamlet in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills continue to remain in the shadows. Every election raises hope among the residents of Nartiang that politicians would keep their promises and develop this village which has often been termed an “archeological wonder”. Nartiang has some of the tallest and ancient monoliths besides an age-old Durga and Shiva temple where the indigenous tribals still offer prayers.

“We have been told by babus (researchers are thus referred to by the local people)...

Shillong, Feb 17: It has been 31 years since Meghalaya attained statehood, but as the state gets ready for the seventh round of Assembly elections, it has nothing to show except for a long list of scams and controversies, empty coffers, a moribund tourism industry and an education system that has seen better days.

As many as 14 parties are vying for the 60 Assembly seats at stake, but none of these seem to inspire confidence in the state’s 12,79,740-strong electorate. Though the composition of the electorate has not changed much over the years, political instability — the past five years saw...