Senior Trinamool Congress leader and former chief minister Dr. Mukul Sangma was today officially appointed as the new leader of opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
Besides the appointment of Dr. Sangma as the new leader of opposition, lone Congress MLA Ronnie V. Lyngdoh was appointed as the new opposition chief whip.
The notifications regarding the appointment of Dr. Sangma and Lyngdoh to the respective posts were issued by Assembly Speaker Thomas Sangma today.
Dr. Sangma would have the opportunity to lead the opposition on the final day of the autumn session of the House tomorrow.
This is the second time that Dr. Sangma was entrusted with leading the opposition camp in the House. He was the leader of opposition since November 2021 to 2023.
It may be mentioned that both Trinamool Congress and Congress have a strength of 10 per cent in the 60-member Assembly which made them eligible for the two posts.
Trinamool Congress has five MLAs in the Assembly while Congress has one.
However, the four-member VPP which also sits in the opposition has chosen to remain separate although the party has reiterated that it would work together with Trinamool Congress and Congress on issues of public importance.
The ruling NPP has 31 members in the House making it the party with absolute majority.
In the 2023 elections NPP won 26 seats. Shortly later two PDF MLAs – Banteidor Lyngdoh and Gavin M. Mylliem merged their party with the NPP.
The party’s strength jumped to 31 after the recent joining of three Congress MLAs – Celestine Lyngdoh, Charles Marngar and Gabriel Wahlang.
The 45-member NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance is supported by UDP, HSPDP, BJP and Independents.
The present strength of the Assembly is 59 since the Gambegre seat is still vacant after the resignation of Congress MLA Saleng Sangma who was elected as MP to the Lok Sabha from Tura parliamentary seat.
