Shillong, Mar 1: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will meet here Friday to elect Meghalaya's new chief minister, the party said Thursday.
The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya by securing 29 seats, two short of majority in the 60-member assembly.
Speculation is rife over who will be the chief minister.
There are three former chief ministers, including Mukul Sangma, who led from the front in the assembly election. The Thursday result saw the Congress get four more seats than in 2008.
The other two former chief ministers are D.D. Lapang and Salseng C. Marak.
"The newly elected Congress legislators will meet Friday to decide their new leader who will also be the next chief minister," Congress secretary in-charge of Meghalaya Sanjay Bapna told IANS.
Congress sources said Sangma was likely to be unanimously elected the Congress Legislature Party leader.
Sangma retained his Ampati constituency for the fifth time, defeating National People's Party (NPP) rival by more than 9,000 votes.
His wife Dikkachi D. Shira and brother Zenith M. Sangma were victorious from Mahendraganj and Rangsakona.
Four Congress women candidates, including Urban Affairs Minister Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, were also elected to the assembly.
Bapna said leaders of other political groups and newly elected independents had contacted state Congress leaders and extended support to the new government.
The term of the Meghalaya assembly ends March 10.
