Sharad Pawar dissolves Meghalaya NCP unit

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar Friday dissolved the party's Meghalaya unit after his 12 legislators in the state joined the National People's Party (NPP), a party official said.

The dissolution of Meghalaya NCP came hours after Purno A. Sangma joined the NPP.

Sangma's sons James K. Sangma and Conrad K. Sangma were among the dozen of NCP legislators who joined the new party.

Conrad is Leader of Opposition in the assembly.

However, Sangma's daughter Agatha Sangma, a minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the centre, will continue to be part of the NCP till 2014.

"Pawar has dissolved the Meghalaya NCP state unit due to the anti-party activities," NCP's central observer for northeastern states Robert Kharshiing said.

He, however, added that an ad-hoc committee has been constituted with NCP legislator Sanbor Shullai as its convenor.

Shullai is the deputy speaker of the Meghalaya assembly.