Meghalaya Polls live updates: BJP leading non-Congress party towards govt; CM Mukul Sangma says 'respect mandate of people'

Voters had returned a hung assembly in Meghalaya on Saturday. Congress emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats, down from 28 from last assembly polls, Conrad Sangma's National People's Party (NPP) won 19 seats, while UDP managed to secure six seats. 

With alliances elsewhere in the country and at Centre, NPP and UDP are more likely to join hands with BJP and each other to form a non-Congress government in the state.

Moving swiftly, Congress on Sunday staked claimed to form the government. According to sources, the party wrote a letter to Governor Ganga Prasad to stake the claim on power in the state. Another media report suggested the party leadership met the governor late last night and said they are single largest party to get votes and that they should be invited to form a government at the earliest. 

Also read | With Tripura, Nagaland in its kitty, BJP shifts focus on forming non-Congress government in Meghalaya

Here are the LIVE Updates on political tussle in Meghalaya Assembly Elections 2018: 

Watch video: Meghalaya polls: Pro-BJP parties achieve majority mark, say sources

02:40 pm: BJP's Kiren Rijiju along with Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress's Mukul Sangma arrived at United Democratic Party headquarters in Shillong.

02:34 pm: 

Respect mandate of the people. I met Governor& I have indicated that I will come back with letters of support from like-minded people. BJP has only 2 MLAs how would they like to form the govt? They want to fire from the shoulder of other political parties:Mukul Sangma in Shillong pic.twitter.com/9xk5bQYwYH

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

01:40 pm: Kiren Rijiju also met UDP leader Donkupar Roy

01:27 pm: NPP Chief Conrad Sangma meets senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju

12:53 pm: 'Newly elected MLA AL Hek is declared the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly,' tweets MoS Home Kiren Rijiju. 

Newly elected MLA Shri A.L. Hek is declared the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. pic.twitter.com/aQ8a4v04ah

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 4, 2018

12:30 pm: 

Shillong: National People's Party MLAs meeting begins, party president Conrad K Sangma says,'We'll take a decision in the meeting, have spoken to like-minded parties, they are also having their meetings, picture will be clear in an hour or two.' NPP has won 19 seats #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/Quhul5iIfk

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

12:15 pm: Meanwhile Tripura CM Manik Sarkar submits his resignation to the governor.

11:50 am: NPP meeting begins, Conrad Sangma's party likely to go with BJP's formula of making a non-Congress government. The NPP meeting to decide on the name of next Chief Minister. 

11:49 am: BJP sources say that the government may be announced by the end of the day and oath taking ceremony may take place tomorrow. 

11:48 am: BJP's formula to make government in Meghalaya ready. NPP, UDP, HSPDP and PDF ready to come together. Independent MLA Samuel has also extended support. The total reaches 34. 

11:44 am: Independent MLA Samuel meets Himanta Biswa Sarma, extends support

NEWS ALERT | Independent candidate Samuel.S.Sangma meets BJP's @himantabiswa in Shillong, extends support to BJP #MeghalayaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/DKtvGKuQZq

— India TV (@indiatvnews) March 4, 2018

11:00 am: The BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma and Alphons Kannanthanam are likely to meet the governor at 1 pm today for a courtesy call.

10:45 am: The reports say that Congress leadership had also paid a visit to Governor Ganga Prasad late last night, staking claim to form the government.

10:30 am: We met the governor and told him that we should be given the first shot at forming a govt. There are clear guidelines in place that say that the single largest party should be called first: Kamal Nath to media. "Associates have assured support in the last one hour. The BJP is out of the fray, they are trying to create mischief," said Kamal Nath.