Conrad Sangma takes oath as Meghalaya’s 12th Chief Minister Tuesday March 06,2018

Conrad Sangma, With 11 Ministers, Takes Oath As Meghalaya Chief Minister

National People’s Party president Conrad Kongkal Sangma on Tuesday took oath as Meghalaya’s new chief minister with 11 other leaders to form the government in alliance with the BJP, three regional parties and an Independent legislator in the northeastern state.

The 40-year-old son of former chief minister and Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma was sworn in by Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad during a brief ceremony at the Raj Bhawan.

The ceremony was attended by Union minister for home Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP’s strategist for the northeast Himanta Biswa Sarma and a host of other dignitaries.

The Bharatiya Janata Party played a pivotal role in stitching up a mega alliance and secure the support of 34 legislators to form the next government.

The ruling alliance will be headed by the NPP with 19 seats, and comprise the United Democratic Party (6 seats), People’s Democratic Front (4 seats), BJP(2 seats),Hill State People’s Democratic Party (2 seats) and one Independent.

Conrad Sangma hands the letter of support from 34 MLAs to Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad

 

The other leaders from the NPP and other coalition partners, including Conrad’s elder brother James, were also administered the oath of office as ministers of the newly christened Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).

Others in the cabinet are Prestone Tynsong, Comingone Ymbon and Sniawbhalanag Dhar from the NPP, Metbah Lyngdoh, Lahkmen Rymbui and Kyrmen Shylla from the United Democratic Party, Banteidor Lyngdoh and Hamletson Dohling of People’s Democratic Front.

The saffron party has been represented by senior leader Alexander L Hek, who returned to the party before the assembly elections after a stint with the Congress.

No party won a majority in Meghalaya, but the Congress emerged as the largest party winning 21 seats in the assembly election, results for which were announced on Saturday. But the party's effective strength is 20 since outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma had won from two seats. Since polling on one seat was cancelled due to the death of a candidate, Conrad Sangma for now only needs 30 members for a majority with the current strength of the House at 59. His coalition has 34.

About Conrad Sangma

Conrad Sangma, who likes to read and listen to music among other things, entered the Meghalaya political scene in 2008 as a Nationalist Congress Party candidate from Selsella seat. He is the youngest son of former Meghalaya chief minister and former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma.

He was the cabinet minister for finance, power and tourism in the government led by United Democratic Party from 2008 till 2009, when it was reduced to a minority and President’s Rule imposed.

From 2009 till 2013, Conrad was the leader of opposition in the 60-member Meghalaya assembly. He failed to win the support of voters in 2013, losing to Congress’s Clement Marak from Selsella by a margin of over 2,000 votes.

He returned to electoral politics in 2016, when the Tura Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the sudden death of his father due to a heart attack.

Conrad, who took over the reins of the party founded by his father in 2012, defeated Congress chief minister Mukul Sangma’s wife Dikkannchi Shira, by a margin of over 1.92 lakh votes.

10 Facts About Conrad Sangma, 12th Chief Minister Of Meghalaya

1. Conrad Sangma was born in a political family on January 27, 1978 in Meghalaya's Tura constituency, from where he was elected as the member of the parliament in 2016.
2. He studied at St. Columba's School in Delhi and then went on to Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for his graduation in business administration. He then went to Imperial College London to get an MBA.
3. Conrad Sangma's father, PA Sangma, was the founder of the National People's Party. PA Sangma was the chief minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and also served as the Lok Sabha speaker between  1996 and 1998. His siblings, James and Agatha Sangma, are also NPP leaders. His another sister Christy has, however, remained non-political.
4. His tryst with politics began in 1990 when he became the campaign manager for his father.
5. At the age of 26, he contested his first elections in 2004 but lost by a slim margin of 182 votes.
6. He contested again in 2008. This time, he won and became a minister in the state government. He got the finance portfolio and was Meghalaya's youngest finance minister at the age of 30.
7. From 2009 to 2013, Conrad Sangma held the post of Leader of Opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
8. After his father's death, Conrad Sangma became president of the National People's Party (NPP)  in 2016. In the same year, he got elected to 16th Lok Sabha in a bye-election from Tura.
9. Apart from politics, Conrad Sangma is associated with social work as president of the PA Sangma Foundation. Heis also president of the Meghalaya Cricket Association and Sports Academy.
10. Conrad Sangma is married to  Dr Mehtab Chandee and has two daughters