Setback for Congress in Meghalaya, NPP-BJP announces Conrad Sangma as CM candidate, oath ceremony on March 6

The Indian National Congress which on Sunday emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya Assembly Elections 2018 staked claimed to form the government. 

After no single party could reach the majority mark of 30 seats, voters of Meghalaya have elected a hung Assembly, with no single party or pre-poll alliance securing enough seats to be able to form the government.

Senior leaders of both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have rushed to the state to stitch ties to top regional leaders to form the government. A coalition will need to have at least 30 seats in the 60-member Assembly to stake claim to form the government.

According to sources, the party wrote a letter to Governor Ganga Prasad to stake the claim on power in the state.  Another media report suggested the party leadership met the governor late last night and said they are single largest party to get votes and that they should be invited to form a government at the earliest. 

Voters had returned a hung assembly in Meghalaya on Saturday. Congress emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats, down from 28 from last assembly polls, Conrad Sangma's National People's Party (NPP) won 19 seats, while UDP managed to secure six seats. 

With alliances elsewhere in the country and at Centre, NPP and UDP are more likely to join hands with BJP and each other to form a non-Congress government in the state.

Here are all the live updates:

# It's positive that regional parties got together to work for the region. It's people's decisions and we need to respect that: MoS Home Kiren Rijiju

# 1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP

# Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of Meghalaya, there will be no deputy CM: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP

# Next 2-3 days are very crucial because Assembly term gets over. The House expires on 7th before that everything has to take place and by tomorrow everything will be clear: Conrad Sangma

# NPP's Conrad Sangma met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form a government. Oath ceremony to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am.

NPP's Conrad Sangma met #Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form government. Oath ceremony to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am. pic.twitter.com/27NaL1UAwV

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

# Meanwhile, Tripura BJP chief Biplab Deb says, MLAs of BJP and ally IPFT will meet on March 6 to elect their leader. 

# MLAs from NPP, UDP, BJP and HSPDP arrived at Governor House in Shillong

Correction: MLAs from NPP, UDP, BJP and HSPDP arrived at Governor House in Shillong #Meghalaya

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

# Congress submits letter to Meghalaya Governor stating Congress naming Mukul Sangma as the leader of the Meghalaya Congress Legislature Party

# Respect mandate of the people. I met Governor& I have indicated that I will come back with letters of support from like-minded people. BJP has only 2 MLAs how would they like to form the govt? They want to fire from the shoulder of other political parties: Mukul Sangma in Shillong

# Manik Sarkar submitted his resignation as Tripura CM to Governor Tathagata Roy. Sarkar will continue as the CM until the new govt is sworn in.

# Kiren Rijiju also met UDP leader Donkupar Roy

# NPP Chief Conrad Sangma meets senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju

# Newly elected MLA A.L. Hek declared the Leader of BJP Legislature Party 

# NDPP-BJP alliance will stake claim to form govt in next couple of days: Ram Madhav

# Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar arrives at Governor House in Agartala

# Shillong: Independent candidate Samuel.S.Sangma met BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma & extended support to BJP

Shillong: Independent candidate Samuel.S.Sangma met BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma & extended support to BJP. #MeghalayaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/nULvHvAw2b

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018