Mukul Manda Sangma was Tuesday sworn-in as the Meghalaya chief minister for the second time in a row.
Governor R S Mooshahary administered the oath of office to the 47-year-old leader who was seen as the architect of the Congress’s victory in the assembly elections in this mountainous northeastern state, on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan.
Mukul Sangma will announce the list of his council of ministers later this week.
‘I have been directed by madam (Congress chief Sonia Gandhi) to take oath alone and will expand the ministry after consultation with party high command,’ Mukul Sangma said.
The Congress emerged the single largest party with 29 seats – two short of a majority in the 60-member house. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which secured two seats, and 11 independent legislators have extended ‘unconditional support’ to the Congress. Party sources said Sonia Gandhi endorsed Sangma’s name as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader for the impressive wins in the Garo Hills region, considered the stronghold of her bete noire, former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A Sangma.
The Congress has won 13 of the 24 seats in Garo Hills districts, while the tribal-centric National People’s Party (NPP) founded by Purno Sangma managed only two.
Governor R S Mooshahary administered the oath of office to the 47-year-old leader who was seen as the architect of the Congress’s victory in the assembly elections in this mountainous northeastern state, on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan.
Mukul Sangma will announce the list of his council of ministers later this week.
‘I have been directed by madam (Congress chief Sonia Gandhi) to take oath alone and will expand the ministry after consultation with party high command,’ Mukul Sangma said.
The Congress emerged the single largest party with 29 seats – two short of a majority in the 60-member house. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which secured two seats, and 11 independent legislators have extended ‘unconditional support’ to the Congress. Party sources said Sonia Gandhi endorsed Sangma’s name as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader for the impressive wins in the Garo Hills region, considered the stronghold of her bete noire, former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A Sangma.
The Congress has won 13 of the 24 seats in Garo Hills districts, while the tribal-centric National People’s Party (NPP) founded by Purno Sangma managed only two.