National People's Party

The National People’s Party (NPP), which leads the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), announced the names of 58 candidates for the assembly election.

NPP national president and CM Conrad K Sangma said leaders from different political parties joined NPP in the last five years, which shows that the party is ‘growing stronger’.

The NPP chief recently welcomed the candidates and leaders from various political parties and said they had not joined the party for political gains, but for the ‘greater cause of serving the people of the state’.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said his party, NPP, was keeping its options open for a post-poll alliance if the need arises to form the government like it was in 2018, which included BJP.

Similar to the strategy five years back, both NPP and BJP are fighting the upcoming polls on February 27 on their own.

Meghalaya (2018)
The BJP was in its finest political form in Meghalaya where it won just two seats but still managed to outplay the Congress, which secured 21 seats. In the 60-member House in the 2018 elections, the National People’s Party (NPP), a BJP ally at the Centre as well as in Manipur, won 19 seats. The BJP brought in senior leaders, including Kiren Rijiju and Himanta Biswa Sarma, to the state to negotiate with regional parties. By the time, Congress could enforce its strategy, the BJP had already struck a deal. The NPP-led alliance secured the support of 34 MLAs and staked claim to form the government. Conrad Sangma became the CM.

Party’s history

The National People's Party (NPP) is a major political entity in the country, particularly in the state of Meghalaya. It was founded by PA Sangma after his separation from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in July 2012.

The NPP made history by becoming the first political organisation from the northeastern region to receive the recognition of a national party, which was granted on June 7, 2019.