Shillong, Mar 3 : The budget session of the Meghalaya assembly will begin from Friday with Governor Satya Pal Malik addressing the members of the House and with the Trinamool Congress making its debut in the State Assembly for the first time. The 10-day budget session would have seven days reserved for the conduct of government business and the rest for the private members. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present budget estimates 2022-23 on March 9. This will be the last budget of the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government. The assembly elections are due early next year. The twelve Congress legislators who had switched over to the Trinamool Congress are already sharpening their tools to corner the MDA government on several issues ranging from illegal transportation and mining of coal, health care scenario of the state, unemployment and the prevailing law and order situation. The TMC is now the main opposition in the House with Dr. Mukul Sangma as the Leader of Opposition, while the five opposition Congress legislators have joined the BJP-backed MDA government. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has suspended all the five Congress legislators – Dr. Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, Process T. Sawkmie, Mayralborn Syiem, Kimfa S Marbaniang and Mohendro Rapsang – for extending support to the MDA government, in which two BJP legislators are constituent of the ruling coalition, without approval from the top party leadership. RRK BM