Shillong, Aug 19: Ending weeks of speculations that has significantly altered the political landscape in the State, Congress MLAs Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh, Charles Marngar, and Gabriel Wahlang officially joined the National People’s Party (NPP) on Monday evening.

This comes after Congress tried to ‘checkmate’ the planned move of its legislators by suspending Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin constituency) and Charles Marngar (Mawhati constituency) for 6 years on August 16, 2024, whereas sparing Dr Celestine Lyngdoh (Umsning constituency) as a way to appease and cajole him to remain with the party. This was to ensure that Gabriel and Charles won’t switch parties due to fear of anti-defection law coming into picture, leading to their disqualification.

To avoid disqualification under anti-defection law, a 2/3rd or 70% of the legislators of a party are required to switch. With Congress left with 4 MLAs after Saleng A. Sangma won the Tura MP polls earlier this year, atleast 3 legislators were required to switch to avoid disqualification.

Till Monday morning, Gabriel Wahlang and Charles Marngar were all but confirmed to join NPP but there was no clarity on Dr Celestine Lyngdoh, making the situation extremely unpredictable, and him the ‘trump card’.

However, on Monday evening, Dr Celestine Lyngdoh joined his two colleagues to formally join the NPP, whose number has now gone up to 31 MLAs – a full majority, in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

With this development, only Ronnie V. Lyngdoh remains as the sole Congress MLA in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

The three new NPP members were welcomed by a host of prominent NPP figures, including Chief Minister and NPP’s national president Conrad K. Sangma, state president and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, and national general secretary and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, among other senior leaders and party workers in Shillong.

The defection of these MLAs has significantly reduced the opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) now holds five seats, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) has four, and the Congress is left with just one, reducing the total opposition count to just ten.

The three legislators on Monday also met Meghalaya Speaker Thomas A. Sangma to complete the formalities for merger with the NPP.

Early on Monday morning, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, cut short his tour of Garo Hills to be present at the ceremony in Shillong by the evening to welcome the Congress MLAs to the party’s fold.

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