Meghalaya Polls | All you need to know about the National People’s Party

Founded in January 2013 by late Purno Agitok Sangma, NPP acquired the title of a national party by the Election Commission of India on June 7, 2019

First ever party to get the status of a national party in the Northeast, the National People’s Party (NPP) has seen gradual growth in the state of Meghalaya since its formation in the year 2013. Founded in January 2013 by late Purno Agitok Sangma, NPP acquired the title of a national party on June 7, 2019.

P A Sangma, who founded the NPP after his resignation from the NCP in 2012, had served as the speaker of Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1998 and as chief minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990. He was posthumously awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2017.

NPP's focus has been to resolve eight core issues including agriculture, environment, healthcare and women-centric issues. The party’s election symbol is a book, shedding light on one of its main focus—education.

Also Read | ‘I want NPP to be the voice of Northeast region in national politics’

NPP’s current President

Current CM of Meghalaya and the son of founder P A Sangma, Conrad K Sangma was elected the President of the National People’s Party in 2016. He was actively involved in the alliance between NPP and BJP after the 2018 Assembly Elections, a move that overthrew the majority winning Indian National Congress.

Kingmaker

NPP played the kingmaker in Meghalaya, dethroning INC in the 2018 Assembly elections despite the latter’s majority. NPP’s rise in the state from merely two seats in 2013 Assembly elections to a whopping 19 in 2018 elections has been an indicator of the challenges that the party poses for its Oppositions this time round.

In 2013, NPP had secured two seats in Meghalaya—Songsak and Dadenggre. The party's seat tally swelled to 19 seats in the 2018 elections. It then formed the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) with the BJP, HSDP, UDP and PDF to deny the Congress (which had secured 21 seats) another term in the state.

This time around, Sangma said the party would go solo, making the elections a nail-biting affair. However, experts believe that it may form a post-poll alliance again.

Despite the senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh calling NPP “puppet” of the BJP, the allies have been vicious of late accusing each other of misleading the people and propagating corruption in the state. With rising political temperature in Meghalaya it remains to be seen if the pre-poll accusations will hold significance even after the counting or will all said and done be forgotten in order to form allies and restore power.

Road ahead

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will be fighting the elections from South Tura in West Garo Hills district, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong will contest from Pynursla in East Khasi Hills district.

Its main contender in the state is the former CM Mukul Sangma-led TMC. Sangma along with 11 other MLAs of the Congress switched sides to join the TMC last year, making it the main Opposition party in the state overnight.

A total of 375 candidates are in the fray for 60 seats of the Meghalaya Assembly, which will go to polls on February 27, 2023. What remains to be seen is whether the NPP will be able to expedite its growth in the state and single handedly secure a majority or will it have to resort to yet another post-poll alliance to maintain a position of power in the state.

With the BJP carrying out its campaign in the state with full pomp, the chances of the saffron party bagging high vote share this time round is foreseeable. Having said that, if a post-poll alliance is made afterall it will be interesting to see which among the two will have a greater say given the growing popularity of Modi-led BJP and the local appeal of the NPP.

(With agency inputs)