Petition by NCP on Meghalaya Governor becomes infructuous

New Delhi, Mar 23 (UNI) With the latest developments in the state of Meghalaya, the petition filed by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Conrad Sangma, son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, challenging the decision of state governor S S Sidhu appointing Congress leader D D Lapang as state Chief Minister, has become infructuous.

Since Mr Lapang has already resigned without facing the vote of confidence in the Assembly and Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) leader Donkupar Roy has taken over as Chief Minister of the state, the petition was even otherwise not likely to come up for hearing tomorrow in the Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan is on leave.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere with the order of the state governor and had fixed March 24 for hearing the petition.

Mr Lapang was given 10 days time by Mr Sidhu to prove his majority on the floor of the House and he was supposed to face the floor test latest by March 20 but he resigned without facing the Assembly as he failed to muster the majority.

Congress had emerged as the single largest party in the state with 25 seats in the house of 60 members.

MPA, a post poll alliance of the NCP, BJP and local political outfits has a strength of 31 MLAs in the house.

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