GUWAHATI: The office of a newly-elected Meghalaya MLA’s firm was set on fire by miscreants on Friday night hours after he pledged his support to the National People’s Party (NPP), headed by Conrad K Sangma. Personnel of the fire brigade doused the inferno but the office was partially gutted.Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) MLA Methodius Dkhar is the director of the firm.
Dkhar and his party colleague Shakliar Warjri joined the NPP camp on Friday as Sangma was trying to cobble up numbers to form a coalition government along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).The NPP, which bagged 26 seats, has the support of six other MLAs – two from the BJP, two independents and two from the HSPDP.
After Dkhar and Warjri pledged their support to NPP, HSPDP chief KP Pangniang had written to Sangma stating that the party did not authorise the duo to lend support “for the formation of your government”.“The party has no role in this affair and therefore, (we) withdraw our support to your party, effective from March 3,” Pangniang further wrote.Sangma said the two MLAs had come to support the NPP on their own volition. “The two are not merging themselves with the NPP and will remain as HSPDP MLAs,” he said.Some tribal organisations staged a protest in Shillong on Saturday against Dkhar and Warjri. They burnt their effigies and held a sit-in as they mounted pressure on the two to desert the NPP camp.
Led by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council, the protesting organisations warned that they would take ‘drastic steps’ against the two MLAs if they fail to desert the NPP-led formation by Monday.Further, they threatened not to allow the duo to take oath and stage a dharna outside their houses.The United Democratic Party (UDP) had bagged 11 seats and emerged as the second largest party after the NPP in the recent polls.
The UDP, Congress, Trinamool Congress and some regional forces are trying to form an alternative front after Sangma met Governor Phagu Chauhan at the Raj Bhavan on Friday and staked claim to form the next government.
The elections, held in 59 of the 60 seats, had thrown up a fractured mandate. Any formation, wanting to form the government, will need the support of at least 30 MLAs, for now.Prior to the polls, Conrad Sangma’s NPP and the BJP had been running the state government together under the banner of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance. They, however, went their separate ways before the election was held.