Rahul not matured enough to understand government formation calculations: Sarma

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate yesterday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival.

With the NPP-led coalition set to form the government in Meghalaya despite Congress being the largest party, BJP's Himanta Biswas Sarma on Sunday said Rahul Gandhi is not mature enough to understand government formation calculations.

NPP president Conrad Sangma met Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad this evening and staked claim to form the government in the state with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

"Currently we have 34 members, NPP -19, BJP-2, UDP-6, HSPDP-2, PDF-4 and 1-independent. Number likely to go up. Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don't see maturity in him," Sarma told the media after meeting the Governor.

In a bid to salvage pride, the Congress said that mandate was actually given to them.

"We don't have pre-poll alliance with anybody. Right from the time of campaigning, we knew that BJP, NPP and UDP were together and it has been proved now. Mandate was actually given to Congress," Congress working President in Meghalaya Vincent Pala told ANI.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate yesterday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the National People's Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

"We met the Governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs , 19 of the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent," NPP chief Conard Sangma told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan.

Conard is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) P A Sangma who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father's death.

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