Late entrant UDP allotted two berths in Meghalaya Cabinet

Nagaland heading for an Opposition-less government with almost all parties extending unconditional support to the NDPP-BJP alliance

The United Democratic Party (UDP), a constant in every alliance government in Meghalaya since 2010 except for a five-year phase from 2013, has been allotted two berths in the Cabinet of the new five-party government to be headed by the National People’s Party (NPP).

The alliance has a total of 45 MLAs including two independents. The NPP has 26 MLAs followed by the UDP with 11, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) with two each.

After the newly-elected MLAs took the oath of office on Monday, Chief Minister-designate Conrad K. Sangma said his party, the NPP, would keep eight Cabinet berths. 

“We have decided to call ourselves the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance 2.0 since the partners are the same. We also decided that the Chief Minister will be the chairman of the alliance,” he said.

“Out of the 12 Cabinet berths we can have (in the 60-member House), eight will be for the NPP, two for the UDP and one each for the BJP and the HSPDP,” Mr. Sangma said, adding that the berths have been distributed equitably between the State’s two major regions.

“Eight Ministers will be from the Khasi-Jaintia Hills and four, including the CM, will be from the Garo Hills,” he said.

Mr. Sangma added that the NPP leadership had proposed a name for the Speaker. “I shall be discussing the name with our alliance partners before an announcement is made.”