A musician at heart, Conrad Kongkal Sangma is as skilled in tuning his guitar as keying into the public pulse. Now, one of the youngest chief ministers of the country is eyeing a second term as the Meghalaya CM, and looking for an ally.
Conrad, the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker and former Meghalaya CM Purno Agitok Sangma — one of the tallest politicians of the North-East — was just 40 when he became the 12th chief minister of Meghalaya.
He has a BBA degree from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is an MBA from Imperial College, University of London.
Conrad lost his first election — the bypoll to Selsella constituency — in 2005 on an NCP ticket. Three years later, however, he won this seat and became the state finance minister. Between 2009 and 2013, he was the leader of opposition in the state assembly.
Conrad went to Lok Sabha from Tura seat, which fell vacant after the death of his father in 2016, but resigned two years later to take charge as Meghalaya CM. After his father’s death, Conrad also took over leadership of the NationalPeople’s Party, the party Sangma Senior had founded in 2013.
NPP managed to win just two seats in the 2013 assembly election, but five years later, the party formed its government in partnership with BJP and four other regional parties.
Now, Conrad has led his party close to the victory line and is confident of NPP retaining office for a second time, even if it requires a post-poll alliance. He is keeping his options open for any party that takes up Meghalaya’s cause at the national level.