The Congress on Sunday night staked claim to form a coalition government in Meghalaya.

D D Lapang, a senior leader of the Congress, which emerged as the single largest party with 22 seats in a hung 60-member assembly, met Governor M M Jacob and submitted a list of 38 legislators, including those from the United Democratic Party, Meghalaya Democratic Party and three Independents.

Presidents of the UDP and MDP, E K Mawlong and S D Khongyar, and the independents accompanied Lapang, 60, who had served as deputy chief minister in the outgoing government.

Lapang said a joint meeting of the MLAs of the Congress, the UDP and MDP as well as the independents would be held on Monday to formally elect a leader, who would become the chief minister.

Lapang said the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement, with two MLAs, was also likely to give a written undertaking backing a coalition government headed by him.

Earlier, at a meeting presided over by senior leader Pranab Mukherjee in Shillong, Lapang was elected chief of the Congress legislature party.