Politics in Meghalaya has always been defined by deep ethnic, sub-national and interpersonal fault lines. The state comprises three distinct hill regions known after dominant indigenous communities — the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos. The state, which came into existence in 1972, has 29 assembly seats in the Khasi Hills, seven in the Jaintia Hills and 24 in Garo Hills. There are some common strands between the Khasis and the Jaintias, but the Garos are ethnically and linguistically different. Even during the British rule, indigenous tribes enjoyed considerable autonomy under their own traditional social and political institutions. But against their wishes, on the eve of Independence, the hills were made part of the composite state of Assam. Not satisfied with the autonomy guaranteed to them, the hill groups fought for a separate state. Initially, the All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference (APHLC), which fought for the separate state, enjoyed the support of all three communities. But after the formation of Meghalaya, ethnic and sub-regional differences asserted again, and augmented by elite competition for power, state politics became fragmented and unpredictable since 1976. Only the Congress had a presence in all three regions, and ethnic and regional parties were confined to particular regions. No non-Congress chief minister (CM) could complete a full term.
The 2023 results, though, may mark a break. Conrad Sangma not only became the first non-Congress CM to complete his five-year term but is also tipped to return to power. His National People’s Party (NPP) managed to expand its base from its traditional stronghold of the Garo Hills to gain a toehold in the other two regions. That it could do so despite a messy break-up of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) weeks before the polls, and a volley of corruption charges hurled at him, is exceptional.
The election season had begun with pollsters predicting a close contest between Conrad Sangma and his rival, former CM Mukul Sangma, who left the Congress and joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021. The move no doubt marginalised the Congress, but it did not help Mukul Sangma or his new found party. The TMC ended up with just five seats — four from the Garo Hills and one from the Khasi Hills. The Congress, which lost all its stalwarts to other parties, was never in the race, and its electoral misery was exemplified by Santa Mary Shylla, a little-known NPP candidate, defeating Vincent Pala, the state chief and sitting Member of Parliament from Shillong, in Sutnga-Saipung. The big beneficiary of this fractious battle in the Garo Hills appeared to be the United Democratic Party, once a part of the MDA, which quietly consolidated its base in the Khasi Hills and got 10 seats. The BJP ended up with two.
In a state where ethnicity, sub-nationalism and personality-based politics dominate, capturing the support of all three hill regions is difficult. The NPP ensured that its traditional base remained intact and the anti-incumbency vote is divided between a raft of parties. In the campaign, Conrad Sangma used his positive image as a young, educated and amiable leader to contrast his persona from that of his counterparts — especially the more belligerent Mukul Sangma. Some of the development and welfare initiatives he initiated were also popular. He knew he had an advantage in the Garo Hills, his traditional bastion. But he also picked off leaders in Khasi and Jaintia Hills from the Congress and regional outfits — an astute move in a society where party ideologies and affiliations often pale in the face of interpersonal and community relations. Leaders, therefore, need to be locally entrenched.
The final tally shows the NPP is within striking distance of forming the government, and Conrad Sangma is set to join hands with the BJP and local outfits. He will still face challenges. He cannot escape the charges of corruption and inefficiency. Some sections continue to oppose the Assam-Meghalaya border agreement he signed. Some continue to accuse him not being active enough during the tragedy at Mukroh village last year. And the rise of new outfits such as the Voice of People’s Party in the Khasi-Jaintia regions show that sections of the people are dissatisfied with the political mainstream.
But in expanding the influence of one party across all three regions of the state for the first time in a generation, and winning back power, Conrad Sangma has done what even his illustrious father, former speaker PA Sangma, couldn’t achieve.
H Srikanth is professor, department of political science, Northeastern Hill University, Shillong The views expressed are personal
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