Shillong, Oct 28 — Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday set a target of securing a majority on its own in the 2028 Assembly elections, urging party workers to combine sustained grassroots efforts with smart and strategic campaigning.
Addressing a party induction ceremony in Shillong, Sangma welcomed former United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators Paul Lyngdoh and Renikton L. Tongkhar into the NPP, describing their entry as significant in view of their longstanding political association and personal ties with the party leadership.
Recalling the NPP's formation in Meghalaya on August 24, 2012, the Chief Minister referred to an old photograph taken at the time, in which Tongkhar was present, underlining his long association with the party.
Sangma said the party's immediate focus would be on the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election, followed by the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections and the 2028 Assembly polls.
He expressed confidence in D.R.L. Nonglait as a strong candidate for Parliament and called upon party workers to mobilise support and work consistently towards victory.
Emphasising the importance of election preparedness, Sangma cautioned workers against complacency and said electoral success required continuous engagement with voters, even when campaigning became demanding.
He stressed that the party's performance would depend not merely on the volume of work undertaken but also on the effectiveness of its outreach and the ability to connect with people.
Mookaiaw MLA Nujorki Sungoh, the third former UDP legislator to join the NPP, could not attend the ceremony due to ill health.
Supporters of all three legislators also joined the ruling party. The induction follows the Meghalaya Assembly Speaker's recognition, on October 23, of the merger of the three UDP legislators with the NPP.
Earlier, eight UDP MLAs had merged with the BJP, reducing the UDP's strength from 12 legislators to just one in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.
The latest political developments mark a significant realignment within the state's Opposition ranks as the NPP prepares for its upcoming electoral challenges.