NPP President Conrad Sangma takes oath as Meghalaya chief minister

Bringing an end to the 10-year rule of the Congress Party in Meghalaya, National Peoples Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma took oath as the 12th chief minister of the state on Tuesday. Eleven other ministers also took oath this morning.

"We clear on our agenda of good governance, many sectors need to be looked into. Real challenge and work starts today. We will work to take our state forward," Sangma said after the oath ceremony.

Apart from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance attended the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

I congratulate Conrad Sangma. There was a perception that only Congress party can survive in the north-east but now that BJP has gained victory here that perception will change: Union Minister Rajnath Singh in Shillong pic.twitter.com/jlecHyAquu

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018

I congratulate Conrad Sangma. There was a perception that only Congress party can survive in the north-east but now that BJP has gained victory here that perception will change: Union Minister Rajnath Singh in Shillong.

Council of Ministers being sworn-in at oath ceremony in Meghalaya's Shillong pic.twitter.com/SUWZEQ34cZ

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018

According to an official of Raj Bhavan the governor invited Conrad Sangma to form the government as he had the support of 34 MLAs.

Sangma met the governor last evening and staked claim to form the government with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, an ally of the BJP at the centre and in Manipur.

The Congress won 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly, making it the single-largest party, but it was 10 seats short of an absolute majority.

OneIndia News