The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya emerged as the single-largest party in the state on Thursday, clinching 26 of the 59 seats that went to polls on February 27.

However, the NPP fell short of the majority mark in the 60-member Assembly, even as Assam chief minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma had sought the support of Union home minister Amit Shah in forming the government.

The BJP, which had brought star campaigners including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief J.P. Nadda and Shah, managed to win only two seats.

The United Democratic Party, which was the NPP’s ally in the Sangma government, emerged as the second-largest party with 11 seats. It had won six seats in the 2018 polls.

The Congress and the Trinamul Congress bagged five seats each.

The newly formed Voice of the People Party pocketed four seats while the Hill State People’s Democratic Party and the People’s Democratic Front won two seats each. Two Independent candidates also emerged victorious.

Sangma won from the South Tura seat by a margin of 5,016 votes, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong bagged the Pynursla seat by 8,140 votes, Election Commission data showed.

“I thank the people of our state for having voted for our party. We are grateful to them. We are still short of the numbers… and will decide on the way forward later,” Sangma said.

Sarma, the Assam chief minister, said Nadda had advised the Meghalaya unit of the BJP to support the NPP when it forms the government.

“Sri @SangmaConrad, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, called @AmitShah ji, Hon’ble Home Minister, and sought his support and blessings in forming the new Government,” Sarma tweeted.