Twenty four hours after former NCP leader PA Sangma launched his new political outfit National People’s Party, the Congress tried to cut its risk in the upcoming assembly polls of Meghalaya by promptly announcing its entire list of candidates on Sunday.

The move was aimed at minimising chances of a last-minute defection while retaining the possibility of a seat adjustment with NCP or other parties at a later stage.

The Congress denied nomination to seven sitting MLAs but gave tickets to three of the five independent MLAs who supported the ruling coalition.

At a time when Sangma announced that his party would join the NDA camp the Congress gave a ticket to the lone BJP MLA AL Hek.

The list of Congress candidates shows it has mostly brought new faces in the Garo Hills region — a stronghold of Sangma.

Both chief minister Mukul Sangma and his rival and former CM DD Lapang have been given ticket.

The Election Commission’s notification is yet to come for the Meghalaya assembly election that is slated towards February-end.