Shillong, Mar 27: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma spoke for a record 3 hour 17 minutes and 40 seconds without break while replying to the discussion on the Budget in the ongoing session of the 11th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Replying to the discussion, Conrad gave reply to each and every point raised by the members of the House on the Budget 2023-24 tabled by him on March 23, 2034.

This assumes importance in the backdrop of the recent controversy racked by the opposition over allocation of less time. Interestingly, Voice of the People Party (VPP) Chief Ardent M Basaiawmoit was missing from the opposition bench at the end of the CM’s reply to discussion on the Budget after threatening to hit the streets over the less time.

On Friday, after the Hose was adjourned at 12 noon, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) had objected to the adjournment and threatening to hit the streets over the issue of roster system since the allocation of time for the private members’ business was too less.

“If we are not allowed to participate in this august House, we are going to hit the street (since) this is a serious issue as it has affected this part of the region. This is anti-people and undemocratic (done) for the first time ever in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and it is an attempt on the part of the government to run away from its responsibility,” VPP chief and Nongkrem legislator Ardent M Basaiawmoit had told reporters after the session.

However, Conrad had stated that there are many ways in which the opposition can speak about this issue. He had suggested that issues can be raised any time during the debate on the Governor’s Address, budget discussion, and even special motions and short discussion could be brought in.

This is the second time in less than 10 days that Ardent had made major statements but failed to back it up. Earlier on the first day of the Assembly, he along with other VPP MLAs had walked out of the Assembly over Governor Phagu Chauhan addressing the house in Hindi, saying they did not understand Hindi. However, later it was revealed that the VPP had also published its election Manifesto in ‘Hindi’, besides English and Khasi language.

Similarly, after stirring up a storm on Friday, he could not be bothered to sit through the reply of the CM on discussion on the Budget Session even when most members of the ruling bench sat throughout the 3:17 hour long reply.

In fact, at the end of the reply, UDP leader and former Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui quipped that the Chief Minister’s speech was the longest in the history of the Assembly and it should be recorded in the Guinness Book of world records.