Shillong, June 3: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) on Tuesday unanimously decided to field James K. Sangma as its common candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election from Meghalaya.

The decision was announced following a meeting of the alliance in Shillong, chaired by MDA Chairman and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. Conrad informed that James K. Sangma will file his nomination papers on June 5.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the various constituent parties of the MDA, including members of the National People’s Party (NPP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), and other alliance partners.

According to the resolution adopted during the meeting, several constituent parties had initially expressed interest in nominating their own candidates. However, as no consensus emerged on a single name, the alliance decided to follow its established convention of allowing the largest constituent party to propose a candidate.

Following detailed deliberations, all MDA partners unanimously agreed to support James K. Sangma as the alliance’s official candidate for the Rajya Sabha election scheduled for July 18, 2026.

Speaking after the meeting, Conrad stated that with the endorsement of the MDA, James K. Sangma is no longer solely the candidate of the National People’s Party (NPP), but the common candidate of the entire alliance.

The meeting also deliberated on the upcoming Shillong Parliamentary Constituency by-election. The alliance decided to allow each constituent party the freedom to determine its own position regarding the by-election, whether to support a candidate, remain neutral, or abstain from participating in the contest.

Concluding the meeting, MDA leaders reaffirmed their collective support for the alliance’s decision and appealed to party workers and supporters across the state to work together to ensure the victory of the MDA’s candidate in the Rajya Sabha election.