Last session of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly from Dec 8

SHILLONG, NOV 29: The last session of the five-year term of the current ninth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will be held for three days from December 8, before the state goes for fresh poll early next year.

The Business Advisory Committee of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly has decided that the winter session of the Assembly will be held on December 8, 13 and 14, Assembly’s Commissioner & Secretary Andrew Simons said in a statement issued here on Wednesday.

He said that government business will be taken up on December 8 and 14 and private members business will be on December 13.

It may be mentioned here, the tenure of the current Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will expire on March 6, next year.

The official announcement of holding the winter session has been long waited especially by the disgruntled sitting legislators of the ruling Congress, who will be leaving the party to join other political parties ahead of the upcoming elections.

The ruling Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA-II) state government is having 30 members in the 60-member House besides the support of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independent legislators.

Of the five sitting legislators, four which include former deputy chief minister Rowel Lyngdoh, former ministers Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar and Umroi MLA Ngaitlang Dhar are all set to join the National People’s Party (NPP).

Suspended Congress MLA/MDC and chief executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), PN Syiem, on the other hand will be leading the newly floated People’s Democratic Front (PDF).

“We will join other political parties only after the Assembly session,” Congress veteran leader Rowel Lyngdoh had stated recently. He had also made it clear that he would be joining the NPP since there is no other alternative.

Similarly, independent legislators who are supporting the present ruling government are also waiting for the session to get over before they announce their decision to join different political parties.

Some of these MLAs include Justine Dkhar and Robinus Syngkon, who have made it clear that they would be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while Stephanson Mukhim has opted to join the NPP.

By Our Reporter