In a major political culmination that underscores the National People’s Party’s meteoric rise—from just 2 MLAs in 2013 to 33 in 2025— with the veteran legislator Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, MLA of Mylliem, formally joined the NPP, marking the complete decimation of the Congress party from the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
Calling it a landmark occasion, NPP National President and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma declared, “It’s in fact, a very, very happy moment for us as a family—as a party—when I say family, the NPP family. It’s a very, very happy moment for us that today we are 33 in numbers. I really would like to take this opportunity to welcome Ronnie and all his leaders and supporters to the family of the National People’s Party.”
Sangma, however, made it clear that no ministerial berths were offered to attract defectors. “All of them have come with no preconditions. I was very clear from day one that it is difficult for us to give any kind of commitment on any things. So all of them have been very clear that the only commitment they want from the government and from me as Chief Minister is a commitment to develop their constituency—the commitment to give them large developmental projects, to ensure that the different schemes are given to their constituency and to their people.”
Highlighting his government’s focus on constituency-led development, he said, “You must have seen in terms of my action also that I have stuck to those commitments in the last year. A large number of projects—whether it’s a new block in Mawhati or different large road projects—have been taken up in almost all the constituencies of the three MLAs that have joined. And similarly, for Mylliem constituency also, we will continue to work in the same lines.”
When asked about the increasing number of leaders joining the NPP, Sangma replied, “It’s not the question of wanting more—people are joining and are happy to be part of the National People’s Party. So obviously we welcome when people want to come in.”
Reassuring coalition partners amidst this political shift, Sangma said, “I’ve been very clear from day one to all our coalition partners that we have been working together for the last eight years now almost. And we have been through ups and downs, through thick and thin. And I must put on record in this moment that our coalition partners stuck with us.”
“Yes, we had turbulences, we had differences, we had difficulties, but we stuck to each other. And I want to send a message to all of them very even now—we are committed to our coalition partners. Because it is not about short-term gains, but it’s about long-term stability, long-term commitment, long-term development work, and overall long-term plans for the state. And that we can only achieve by ensuring that we are true to our words, we are true to our commitment. And that is a message that we would like to give to our coalition partners. Yes, we will have challenges, we will have differences—but it is important that we stick and we work together and fulfil our commitments.”
