Congress Moves Swiftly In Hung Meghalaya, Late Night Call To Governor

Shillong:  Faced with the prospect of being pipped by regional parties backed by the BJP, the Congress, which emerged as the single largest party in a hung Meghalaya verdict, met with Governor Ganga Prasad late last night, staking claim to form government.

"We told the Governor that we should be given the first shot at forming a government... There are clear guidelines in place that say single largest party should be called first," senior Congress leader Kamal Nath told NDTV today. Mr Nath and his colleague Ahmed Patel were rushed to state capital Shillong yesterday as results pointed towards a fractured verdict. The party won 21 seats, 10 short of the halfway mark at 31.

"We are confident of coming up with the numbers and if we are invited, we will put that on the table," Mr Nath told NDTV. The party, however, has not produced letters of support to show that it has the numbers.

Having drawn a blank in Tripura and Nagaland, the Congress is struggling to retain Meghalaya which it has ruled for the last 10 years with Mukul Sangma at the helm. The party won 28 seats in the last assembly polls; it's down to 21 this time.

The National People's Party (NPP), founded by former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and now led by his son and lawmaker Conrad Sangma, came a close second at 19. The party, a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the centre, contested the assembly polls on its own.

The United Democratic Party (UDP), which is a part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), has won six seats. Another regional party HSPDP, which had a pre-poll alliance with the UDP, has won two seats.

The BJP that did not win any seat in the last elections scored two. Its Northeast strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma - who has been camping in Shillong since yesterday - reportedly held meetings last night with Mr Sangma and UDP chief Dr Donkupar Roy. The BJP has said that it would encourage regional parties to form a government. "All parties should come together, respect people's mandate and form a government which is non-Congress," Mr Sarma told NDTV yesterday.

"We haven't decided who to support... have been in touch with both sides... not correct to say we are inclined towards the BJP," the UDP chief told NDTV today, in an indicator of the political play-hard-to-get by regional parties as the Congress and the BJP strive to cobble up numbers.

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Mr Sarma along with union minister Alphons Kannanthanam, deputed by the party as one of its observers for Meghalaya, is likely to meet the Governor this afternoon; sources say it will be a courtesy call.

In the event of the regional parties stitching up an alliance with the backing of the BJP, the support of three Independents would hold key in government formation.

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