Meghalaya Election Results: hung assembly, NPP emerges as single largest party

The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya emerged as the single-largest party in the state on Thursday, clinching 26 seats out of the 59 constituencies that went to polls on February 27, the Election Commission said.

However, it fell short of gaining a majority in the 60-member assembly, even as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma sought the support of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in forming the new government.

The BJP, which had brought star campaigners, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief J P Nadda and Shah, managed to win only two seats.

The United Democratic Party (UDP), which was NPP’s ally in the Sangma government, emerged the second-largest party, winning 11 constituencies. It had won only six seats in the 2018 polls.

The Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC won five seats each.

The newly formed Voice of the People Party (VPP) won four seats, while the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), the People's Democratic Front won two seats each. Two Independent candidates also emerged victorious.

Sangma won from the South Tura seat by a margin of 5,016 votes, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong won the Pynursla seat by 8,140 votes, the EC data showed.