MAIRANG: In politically-unstable Meghalaya where single party government is rare, the United Democratic Party (UDP) is expected to emerge as the kingmaker, again.
Carved out of Assam, Meghalaya attained statehood in 1972. After the first state election held the same year, the All Party Hills Leaders' Conference had formed the government singlehandedly. Ever since then, it has been a saga of coalition governments.
There are several national and regional parties contesting the February 27 elections but none holds sway across the state's three regions -- Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills.
The talk of the town is the contest will be between the National People's Party (NPP), which Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma heads, and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that made a backdoor entry into the state after 12 Congress MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, jumped ship. The perception that the polls will throw up a fractured mandate is expected to make the UDP a kingmaker yet again. It had won six seats the last time and took the tally to eight after winning two by-elections.
An important component of the NPP-led ruling coalition, this regional power continues to charm its pocket boroughs in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. It has been an integral part of several governments since 1998.
The UDP is hoping to better its 2018 performance as the NPP is facing serious charges of corruption and an anti-incumbency wave and the Congress virtually has got decimated by the series of desertions. From 21 seats in 2018, it does not have a single MLA left now.
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UDP chief and Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh too believes no party will be able to win 30 of the state's 60 seats. He is optimistic about the party's poll prospects.
"We hope to be at the forefront. With that goal in mind, we are moving ahead. We will win a good number of seats. It is due to this confidence that we are contesting 46 seats, 13 more than the last time," Lyngdoh told The New Indian Express at a rally at his pet Mairang constituency on Saturday.
Unlike in Khasi and Jaintia Hills where the 36 seats invariably went to multiple parties in past elections, the Garo Hills region is known to largely vote for the ruling party and the principal opposition. Success here virtually decides which party will lead the government. The UDP, a party from Khasi Hills, is trying to fill up its vacuum in Garo Hills. Out of its 46 candidates, 16 are contesting in this region.
"We are getting a good response from people at the grassroots level in Garo Hills. Our absence was there for quite some time. So, we made an attempt to go back to people there. A message has gone to people that UDP is not just for the Khasis but also for the Garos and the Jaintias. I can see its acceptance," Lyngdoh claimed.
He said people have grievances about the performance of the Sangma government and they are looking at the UDP as an alternative. He said the TMC would fail to make any impact in Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The TMC’s most leaders are from Garo Hills.
Born in 1997, the UDP has tasted power thrice -- 1998, 2008 and 2018 -- when it was a part of different coalition governments.
UDP leader BB Lyngdoh was elected as the Chief Minister when the party formed a coalition government along with the Congress in 1998. That was the first time in India that two parties had reached an agreement to share the CM's five-year tenure 50:50.
Lyngdoh, a four-time former CM, is often referred to as the "father of coalition politics". He headed India's first coalition government in 1979 and introduced the MLA scheme (to develop local areas) to the country.