Shillong, Aug 19 (Reporter) The Congress in Meghalaya suffered a jolt on Monday after three of its legislators-- Celestine Lyngdoh, Charles Marngar and Gabriel Wahlang - crossed over to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP). With this, the NPP, which had 28 MLAs, now has a majority of 31 in the 60-member House. The major political development came two days after state Congress General Secretary in charge Administration Wansuk Syiem suspended Marngar and Wahlang for six years for anti-party activities. Interestingly, the Congress did not suspend Lyngdoh as he attended the party meeting chaired by State Congress President, Vincent Pala on August 16. The three Congress legislators officially joined the NPP on Monday after submitting an application to the Assembly Speaker, Thomas A Sangma stating that they have the requisite strength for a merger under para 4 of the Tenth Scheduled of the Constitution. However, the Speaker asked the three legislators to “personally verify” before the Speaker to prove that they had the numbers for the merger. After the three legislators walked up to the Assembly secretariat and verified the contents of the application, the Speaker, ordered that the three Congress legislators formed two-thirds of the Congress Legislature party in the Assembly and could merge with the NPP. Since they have prayed for the merger, the Speaker said that the three legislators would be allotted seats in the Meghalaya Assembly as NPP legislators. “It is a collective decision that three of us have taken to merge with the NPP and our decision is based on facilitating development in the interest of the people," Lyngdoh said after joining the NPP. Lyngdoh also clarified that he had informed the Congress leaders during the meeting at Congress Bhavan on August 16 about the offer that came from the NPP. He, however, rubbished allegations that the NPP has offered money and ministerial berth to the three MLAs. “We joined the NPP for the overall development of our respective constituencies and the state," Lyngdoh stated. Lyngdoh also said that the joining of the three legislators will not affect them because they applied to Assembly Speaker on August 14, but because of the holiday on August 15 (Independence Day), the Speaker took up their application on August 16 and today (August 19) gave his ruling by recognising the merger of the three legislators with the NPP. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress won five seats and was reduced to four in the 60-member Assembly after four-time legislator Saleng Ampang Sangma gave up his membership following his election as MP from Tura Lok Sabha seat. At present, the Congress has only one MLA, Ronnie V Lyngdoh who is also the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, and he is likely to lose the post , being the lone Congress legislator in the House. Chief Minister and NPP National President, Conrad Sangma welcomed the trio into his party in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers, Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar and a host of NPP legislators and functionaries at its headquarters here. He termed the joining of the three Congress MLAs as a historic moment not only for the NPP but the state as well because with their joining, the strength of the NPP in the state Assembly has gone up from 28 to 31, which is an absolute majority. “I am humbled by the trust and the belief that our leaders have shown towards the NPP," Sangma said. He said the leaders who joined the NPP did not come to serve their agenda but for the sake of the state's overall development...////...