Sangma elected CLP leader,set to become CM SHILLONG: Mukul Sangma,who steered the Congress to retain power in Meghalaya,is set to become the chief minister for a second straight term after he was elected as leader of its Legislature Party on Friday. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held on March 5,said officials. Though the Congress fell two short of an absolute majority,47-year-old Sangma was poised to form the government in the northeast state after eight of the 13 Independent MLAs assured the party of unconditional support. Also,the party has got a letter of support from the NCP,which won two seats. Mukul will meet Governor R S Mooshahary to stake claim to form the government,a Congress leader said. Blunting the challenge posed by Meghalaya strongman P A Sangma,the Congress led by Mukul emerged the single largest party,bagging 29 of the 60 seats,getting four more seats than in the previous elections. With 10 non-Congress MLAs backing it,the Congress is comfortably placed to form the government. Mukul will be the 23rd CM of Meghalaya. Rio elected NPF legislature party leader KOHIMA: Neiphiu Rio,who led the Naga Peoples Front back to power for a third consecutive time,was on Friday formally elected to lead the new government in Nagaland. Rio was elected the NPF Legislature Party leader at a meeting of the party here for a third term as chief minister. NPF sources said Rio was expected to meet Governor Nikhil Kumar in the next few says to stake claim to form the government. LF meet on Monday to elect Sarkar as Tripura CM AGARTALA: The newly elected legislators of the Left Front,which won the Tripura polls by three-fourths majority,will meet this Monday to formally elect Manik Sarkar as the Chief Minister. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Left Front Committee held here on Friday,MP and party chairman Khagen Das said. CPM party secretary Bijan Dhar said incumbent Manik Sarkar will remain the CM of the seventh Left Front government. Sarabjits lawyer receives threat from Taliban The lawyer of Sarabjit Singh,who is on death row in a Pakistani prison,on Friday said he had received a death threat from the Taliban for pursuing the case of the Indian national. Awais Shiekh said a letter written by an anonymous activist of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had warned his wife to stop her husband from pursuing the case of Sarabjit. Shiekh claimed he was barred from holding a planned news conference at the Lahore Press Club to launch his book on Sarabjit. My son also received a threatening call from an anonymous person. I will lodge a complaint with the police and seek security, Sheikh said.
