Shillong : The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance-II (MDA-II) has unanimously endorsed National People’s Party (NPP) leader James PK Sangma as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election scheduled on June 18, 2026, after alliance partners failed to arrive at a consensus on a common nominee.
The decision was taken during a meeting of MDA-II parliamentary party leaders chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday.
Addressing the media after the meeting, UDP leader Paul Lyngdoh said all constituent parties were briefed on the upcoming Rajya Sabha election and the NPP’s views regarding the nomination process.
According to Lyngdoh, several alliance partners expressed their willingness to have candidates from their respective parties considered for the Rajya Sabha seat. However, despite extensive discussions, no consensus could be reached on a single candidate acceptable to all coalition members.
As a result, the alliance decided to follow its established convention of endorsing the nominee proposed by the largest constituent party, the NPP, to maintain unity and parliamentary tradition within the coalition.
Consequently, the meeting unanimously endorsed James PK Sangma as the official MDA-II candidate for the Rajya Sabha election.
On the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election, the coalition adopted a flexible approach, allowing constituent parties to take their own positions. Alliance partners will be free to contest the election, support a candidate, remain neutral, or stay away from the bypoll.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma confirmed that nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election will be filed on June 5.
He stated that while various political parties had expressed a desire to nominate their own representatives, the inability to reach a consensus ultimately led all partners to agree on supporting the nominee of the largest party through a democratic process.
Sangma further clarified that James PK Sangma’s candidature is no longer solely that of the NPP but has been formally adopted as the official candidate of the MDA-II alliance.
He also emphasized that all coalition partners present at the meeting had formally agreed to the decision, ensuring a united stand during the Rajya Sabha election.
