1983 Meghalaya Legislative Assembly election

← 1978 17 February 1983 1988 →
All 60 seats in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly 31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	72.58%
First party Second party   Party INC AHL Seats before 20 16 Seats won 25 15 Seat change 5 1 Popular vote 130,956 118,593 Percentage 27.68 24.92 Swing 1.64 0.15
Chief Minister before election Williamson A. Sangma INC Elected Chief Minister B. B. Lyngdoh AHL

The 1983 Meghalaya Legislative Assembly election was held on 17 February 1983.^[1] No party secured a majority of seats and no women were elected.^[2] A coalition named the Meghalaya United Parliamentary Party was formed by the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (AHL), the Hill State People's Democratic Party, the Public Demands Implementation Convention (PDIC) and two independent members. On 2 March 1983 the coalition presented B. B. Lyngdoh from AHL as Chief Minister. However, the coalition only lasted 29 days and on 2 April a new coalition, the Meghalaya Democratic Forum, was formed with the Indian National Congress (INC) in the lead. W. A. Sangma of the INC was appointed Chief Minister.^[1]

← Summary of the 17 February 1983 Meghalaya Legislative Assembly election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Won	+/−
	Indian National Congress (INC)	130,956	27.68	1.64	25	5
	All Party Hill Leaders Conference (AHL)	118,593	24.92	0.15	15	1
	Hill State People's Democratic Party (HDP)	91,386	19.32	0.08	15	1
	Public Demands Implementation Convention (PDIC)	23,253	4.92		2	[a]
	Communist Party of India	2,442	0.52	0.1	0
	Independents (IND)	106,378	22.49	2.33	3	5 [b]
Total		473,050	100.00		60	±0
Source: Election Commission of India[2]

^a In the 1978 election, two candidates from the PDIC were elected, but the party had not obtained registration in time for the election; at that time, the party's representatives were recorded as independents in the official results.^[3]

^b Does not include the two PDIC candidates elected as independents in 1978.