Shillong (PTI): A special session of the Meghalaya Assembly has been convened for the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected MLAs and the election of the speaker, a senior official said.

The new House, with 59 members, will have its first sitting on Monday, when the pro-tem speaker administers the oath of office to the legislators, the official said.

The House will be meeting again on March 9 for the election of speaker, commissioner and secretary of the assembly, Andrew Simons, told PTI.

The BJP-backed NPP-led alliance with 32 MLAs has staked claim to form the next government in Meghalaya, under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma.

The NPP won 26 seats in the recently concluded elections, while its ally, the BJP, won only two seats.

Two Hill State People's Democratic Party MLAs, who have won the elections, have also pledged their support to the NPP-BJP coalition, along with two other Independent legislators.

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Patna (PTI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not attend the Niti Aayog meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, officials said.

The state was represented at the meeting by deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, they said.

The cause for Kumar's absence from the crucial meeting could not be known immediately.

"This is not the first time that the CM is not attending the Nitish Aayog meeting. The CM did not attend the meeting earlier as well, and Bihar was represented by the then deputy CM. This time also both the Dy CMs went to attend the meeting," JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar told PTI.

"Besides, there are four Union ministers from Bihar who are members of the Aayog and they will be present in the meeting. There is nothing to say on this," he added.

The ninth governing council meeting of the Aayog discussed the 'Vikshit Bharat@2047' document with an aim to make India a developed nation.

The council, the apex body of Niti Aayog, includes all CMs, Lt Governors of Union territories and several Union ministers. PM Modi is the chairman of Niti Aayog.