Shillong, Sep 14: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is likely to rejig his council of ministers sometime this week with speculation being rife that five cabinet ministers may be dropped.
According to sources, five – three from the NPP, one each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) – are likely to be removed.
The five NPP ministers include lone woman cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Comingone Ymbon and Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma.
NPP veteran Timothy D Shira, who recently quit the post of Deputy Speaker, will replace Rakkam, while former Congress minister Brening Sangma, representing Kherapara constituency in West Garo Hills, is expected to replace Mondal.
Gavin Miguel Mylliem, who won on a People’s Democratic Front (PDF) ticket in the February 2023 Meghalaya Assembly elections before the party merged with the NPP three months later, is likely to replace Ampareen.
Wailadmiki Shylla, representing Jowai, will take the place of Ymbon.
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Alexander Laloo Hek (BJP) and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Shakliar Warjri (HSPDP) are set to go as well.
The BJP and HSPDP agreed to share the cabinet berth between their MLAs for two and a half years each.
Hek and Warjri will make way for their respective party colleagues Sanbor Shullai and Methodious Dkhar.
There is also speculation that Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla of the United Democratic Party is likely to be replaced either by his party president, former Assembly Speaker and Mairang MLA Metbah Lyngdoh or Mowkaiaw MLA Nujorki Sungoh.
