NCP-UDP agrees to equally share five year term

Shillong, Mar 9 (UNI) A United Democratic Party (UDP) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) combine Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) is all set to form the new Meghalaya government ousting the Congress.

The Congress, which emerged as the single largest party, is falling short of just six seats to cross the majority threshold in the 60-member House.

UDP President Dr Donkupar Roy, who has emerged as Chief Ministerial candidate of the MPA will lead the government for the first two-and-half years, while the NCP General Secretary PA Sangma would lead the remaining two-and-half years.

''I will take over as the Chief Minister in the remaining two and half years,'' Mr Sangma, who got elected from Tura Assembly seat, told reporters here last night after the meeting with his Alliance partners.

''There is a perfect understanding among the coalition partners and we don't foresee any difficulty of MPA leading a coalition government,'' the former Lok Sabha Speaker.

Mr Sangma said the other aspects of the ministry formation and election for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker posts would be discussed later with the coalition partners.

A Core Committee, headed by Dr Donkupar Roy has been formed to study the manifestoes of the different political parties of the alliance to draw up a Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

The MPA comprises of NCP(14), UDP(11), Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (2), Two Independents and one each from the BJP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement.

The MPA emerged as a major contender after NCP, which earlier projected former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma as its Chief Ministerial candidate proposed the name of Dr Donkupar Roy as the leader of the new Alliance.

''People wanted that the Congress should not come to power.

People have understood that the Congrress has played the money games in the election,'' Mr Sangma said.

When asked whether he would bow down to pressure from Sharad Pawar to form a Congress-NCP alliance in the state, Mr Sangma said, ''Not at all. I will not succumb to any pressure and would remain with the present Alliance till the end.'' UNI RRK BA RN1400