EP-227 | Beef Ban Debate, 'Rocky' Alliance with BJP, Act East Policy & Border Issues | Conrad Sangma

Conrad Sangma is the Chief Minister of Meghalaya and a leader of the National People's Party (NPP). He began his political career as a campaign manager for his father, P.A. Sangma, a former Cabinet minister. After serving as an MLA and the Opposition Leader, he became the NPP President in 2016. Sangma was first elected Chief Minister in 2018 and was re-elected in 2023.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, CM Conrad Sangma discusses his alliance with the BJP, despite having the numbers to run the government independently. He addresses the beef ban issue, stating that people should not interfere with others' eating habits.

He also talks about the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya in Mukroh. Further, Meghalaya CM Sangma shares his thoughts on the Uniform Civil Code and its potential impact on the region. He also discusses the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and One Nation, One Election.

He explains Meghalaya's economy and a government lottery scheme designed to increase revenue. Additionally, he highlights the drug problem in the Northeast and how tourism can contribute to economic growth. He also compares the Look East policy, which was upgraded to the Act East policy in 2014 by the Modi government.

00:00 - Introduction

01:25 - Legacy of P.A. Sangma

02:55 - Congress sidelined P.A. Sangma?

08:28 - Formation of NPP

11:12 - BJP-NPP Alliance

15:14 - Beef Ban Row

20:25 - Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute

26:50 - UCC

28:50 - CAA-NRC Impact in NE States

31:17 - One Nation, One Election

33:36 - NPP to Expand in Other States?

35:05 - UPA's Neglect of the NE

40:04 - Bangladesh Crisis: Security Risks for Meghalaya

43:20 - Meghalaya's Economy

47:36 - Government Lottery Scheme

53:38 - Northeast's Drug Problem

1:02:05 - Tourism in Meghalaya

1:10:28 - Manipur Crisis Impact on Meghalaya

1:15:10 - Snap Reaction

1:33:25 - CM 'Cool'