With sitting MP Dr WR Kharlukhi unlikely to seek a second term, the NPP is weighing HM Shangpliang as a strong, vocal face to represent Meghalaya in Parliament.
Senior National People’s Party (NPP) leader and former MLA HM Shangpliang has emerged as the leading contender for the party’s lone Rajya Sabha seat from Meghalaya, as internal consultations within the ruling party intensify ahead of the 2026 parliamentary transition.
Sources within the NPP said senior leaders have been holding discussions with the party’s top leadership, strongly advocating Shangpliang’s name for nomination to the Upper House. The party is reportedly keen on fielding a sharp and politically assertive representative, especially as the NPP currently has no member in the Lok Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha seat has gained added importance for the party with the term of sitting MP Dr WR Kharlukhi set to expire in June 2026. Kharlukhi is understood to be reluctant to seek a second term, triggering internal deliberations on succession.
Party leaders view the Upper House as the NPP’s primary parliamentary platform to raise critical and long-pending issues concerning Meghalaya, including the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), and sustained advocacy for the state’s development priorities.
HM Shangpliang’s political profile is seen as aligning closely with this strategy. During the 2018–2023 Meghalaya Assembly tenure, he was widely regarded as one of the most outspoken legislators, known for consistently highlighting people-centric issues and holding the government to account.
While the name of former Dadenggre MLA and senior leader James Sangma has also surfaced, party sources maintain that Shangpliang currently leads the race. His possible nomination reflects the NPP’s intent to turn its Rajya Sabha seat into a high-impact platform to amplify Meghalaya’s voice at the national level.
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