'Falling short': Meghalaya CM keeps cards close to his chest

Thanking the people of Meghalaya for voting for the National People's Party (NPP), Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday said the party was still short of a few seats for majority and will wait for the final results before deciding on the way forward.

The NPP has won six seats and was leading in 19 other constituencies as counting of votes polled in the February 27 polls was underway.

"I thank the people of our state for having voted for our party. We are grateful to them. We are still short of the numbers and are waiting for the final results, after which we will decide on the way forward," the CM, who was leading by 2,830 votes in South Tura seat, said.

United Democratic Party (UDP) candidates won in five seats, while its nominees were leading in six other constituencies.

Sangma had held a meeting with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati after exit polls predicted a hung assembly in Meghalaya.

The BJP was leading in three seats, while the Trinamool Congress and the Congress won one constituency each, and were ahead in four other constituencies each.