From Karnataka to Meghalaya, Independent legislators have been playing a crucial role in government formation. Early this month, Ismail Marak, an Independent legislator, switched over to the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government. Before this, Marak had been with the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) for three months before deciding to switch camps.

Five Independents were elected to the 60-member Meghalaya assembly after the March 2008 Assembly election. Two of the Independents, Manas Chaudhuri and Donkupar Massar, played a crucial role in the formation of the MPA coalition government and the third, Ismail Marak, was brought in to help stabilise the government.

Marak had been a minister in the Congress-led MUA that lasted all of seven days. As the Congress failed to garner the magic figure of 31 legislators, it had to make way for the NCP-UDP-led MPA coalition government.

With 32 legislators after the election, the MPA government was vulnerable and shaky. It was then that NCP leader Purno Agitok Sangma, the chief architect of the MPA government, decided to get the three Independent legislators in the Congress-led MUA camp to cross over.

The day he switched over to the MPA camp, Marak was immediately sworn in as parliamentary secretary, a status equivalent to a minister of state. Soon, there were murmurs in the secretariat that the other two Independent legislators left in the Congress camp, A.T. Mondal and Nimison Sangma, were likely to join the MPA. The MPA is acutely aware that with 33 legislators—after Ismail Marak joined it—the government is still in danger of being toppled.

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