Results Day Updates: Conrad Sangma Dials Amit Shah To Seek Support For Forming Government In Meghalaya

06:40 pm

Incumbent Meghalaya chief minister has dialled Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah to seek the latter's support to form the government in Meghalaya.

At the time of writing, Sangma's NPP had won 22 seats and was leading in four. The BJP had won two, and the UDP had won 11.

The Meghalaya assembly has 60 seats with a simple majority at 31.

An alliance of NPP-BJP-UDP was governing Meghalaya since 2018, but broke up in the run-up to the polls.

This would be the second time in 48 hours though that Conrad Sangma would be speaking to senior BJP leader.

Barely 24 hours before the counting, reports emerged that Sangma met Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati and the two discussed government formation in Meghalaya.

The results of the Assembly elections in the three Northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland have gone on the lines predicted by Swarajya. 

The BJP, which is on its way to win a simple majority of seats in Tripura, will be able to form the government on its own. Most exit polls, as well as Swarajya, had predicted a slender majority for the party in the Northeastern state. 

Even though the final results are yet to be declared—the BJP had won 16 seats and was leading in another 17 at the time of writing this at 3 pm—it is clear that the saffron party is set to return to power in the state. 

The elections in Tripura were the most significant because the BJP was facing considerable anti-incumbency and the CPI(M)-led Left Front, in alliance with the Congress, had mounted a formidable challenge to the saffron party. 

The tribal Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (Tipra), more popularly known as the Tipra Motha, had also posed a serious challenge to the BJP and its ally--the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT)--in the tribal belt of the state. 

As predicted, the Tipra Motha did well in the tribal seats. At 3 pm, it had won eight seats and was leading in another four. 

The Left-Congress alliance, also as predicted by Swarajya, failed to strike a chord with most voters. While the CPI(M) had won two and was leading in nine, the Congress had bagged just one and was leading in two more. 

In case the BJP would have fallen just one or two seats short of a majority, the Tipra Motha would have played the role of kingmaker. Taking no chances, the BJP leadership had initiated talks with the Tipra Motha leaders by mid-morning. But it now appears that the Motha’s help will not be required by the BJP to form the government. 

In Nagaland, too, the results are going along predictable lines with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the BJP set to return to power with a very comfortable majority. 

At 3 pm, the NDPP had won 12 seats and was leading in 12 more while its ally, the BJP, had won seven and was leading in five. 

In Meghalaya, the National People's Party (NPP) is well on its way to emerge as the single largest party with about 24 to 25 seats. At 3 pm, it had won six seats and was leading in 19. 

The United Democratic Party (UDP) is set to emerge as the second largest party--it had won six and was leading in five. The Congress had won four and was leading in one while the BJP was yet to open its account but was leading in three. 

But BJP cadres in Meghalaya are in a celebratory mood because the party will be part of the next government in the state. It appears that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) comprising the NPP, UDP and BJP which ruled the state for the last five years will be revived. 

NPP chief and incumbent chief minister Conrad Sangma met Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati late Tuesday night. The two discussed government-formation and it is learnt that Sarma has asked for some important portfolios for his party in the next government. 

Overall, the results are going as per Swarajya’s predictions and the BJP is well on its way to form the government in Tripura and be a junior partner in the ruling alliances in Meghalaya and Nagaland. 

2.50 pm

The ruling BJP crossed the halfway mark in the 60-member Tripura assembly on Thursday afternoon, winning 17 and leading in 16 seats, according to the Election Commission.

The opposition CPI(M) won one seat, and was ahead in 10, while its partner Congress was leading in two seats and won one.

The Tipra Motha was leading in six constituencies and has already won six seats, while BJP's ally IPFT won one seat.

The Trinamool Congress, which tried to expand its footprint in the Northeastern state, has failed to open its account so far.

11:00 am

The BJP has initiated discussions with the Tipra Motha in Tripura to form the government if it falls a little short of the majority mark of 31 in the 60-member state Assembly. 

Current trends show that the BJP-IPFT alliance is leading in 28 seats and the Tipra Motha in 13 while the Left-Congress alliance is leading in 18. 

Negotiations, however, will be tricky since the Motha may insist on a written commitment from the BJP to meet its demand for carving a separate state comprising the tribal-dominated areas of Tripura. 

But, say BJP leaders, the Motha will have to climb down from its insistence. If Motha chief--royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma--remains adamant on such a written commitment, he may face a revolt from his newly-elected legislators and the party may split. 

Some prominent leaders of the Motha are in touch with the BJP. BJP leaders told Swarajya that the chances of the Motha breaking up if Deb Barma insists on a written commitment on a separate state which the BJP will not oblige him with, are high. 

In Meghalaya, the earlier allies--NPP, BJP and UDP--have started talks on government-formation. The three parties together are set to comfortably cross the majority mark in the state. 

In Nagaland, the NDPP and the BJP, which ruled the state together for the past five years, are set to sweep the polls and form the government. 

10:40 am

The BJP appears to have slipped in Tripura. At the time of writing, the BJP and IPFT alliance was leading in only 27 of the 60 seats in Tripura. That is four seats short of the majority of 31.

The Left-Congress alliance was leading in 19 seats whereas the Tipra Motha was leading in 13 seats. Cumulatively, this comes to 32 seats—a simple majority.