Three Congress MLAs—Gabriel Wahlang, Charles Marngar, and Celestine Lyngdoh—are reportedly set to join the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) this evening. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who is also the National President of NPP, is currently in Rongjeng to inaugurate Rongjeng Model College and will head to Shillong afterward for the official induction ceremony.
This development follows the suspension of Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin) and Charles Marngar (Mawhati) by the Congress on Friday for alleged anti-party activities. With these MLAs joining the NPP, the Congress party, which secured 5 seats in the 2023 Assembly elections, will be reduced to only one MLA. Earlier, the Congress tally had already dropped to 4 when Saleng A. Sangma vacated his Gambegre seat after being elected as a member of parliament from the Tura constituency.
A former Congress MLA, now part of the ruling dispensation, noted that the Congress party, which was the single largest party in 2018, has gradually declined under the leadership of State President Vincent H. Pala. Pala had previously suspended five legislators in 2022 and has now suspended two more.