Shillong, Sep 15: A major cabinet reshuffle will be executed on Tuesday as Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, it is expected, drops eight sitting ministers, four of whom from his own party, the National People’s Party (NPP).
Conrad reportedly met Governor CH Vijayashankar here this evening to submit the final list of new ministers. They will be sworn in at 5pm at Raj Bhavan.
As had been reported by Highland Post on Monday, Conrad will drop four of his party colleagues – Health and Family Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Comingone Ymbon. The NPP’s strength in cabinet will remain the same, however, with Jirang MLA Sosthenes Sohtun, Resubelpara MLA Timothy D Shira (who recently resigned as Deputy Speaker of the Assembly), Jowai MLA Wailadmiki Shylla and Dalu MLA Brening A Sangma taking their places.
The NPP’s coalition partners in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) have also forced through a change in their quotas of seats, based on the principle of seat sharing.
A decision was finalised at a meeting today that the United Democratic Party’s Paul Lyngdoh (Tourism Minister) and Kyrmen Shylla (Revenue and Disaster Management) will step aside, making way for Mairang MLA Metbah Lyngdoh and Amlarem MLA Lahkmen Rymbui. Metbah had been Speaker in the 2018-23 MDA government and Rymbui had held a seat in the cabinet during that period as well.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) will see a change in cabinet representation as well. Alexander Laloo Hek (Animal Husbandry and Veterinary) of the BJP will make way for party colleague and Shillong South MLA Sanbor Shullai while Mawshynrut MLA Methodius Dkhar will be inducted in place of Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Shakliar Warjri from the HSPDP.
Although the names of the legislators affected by the reshuffle are an open secret, what is less clear are how the portfolios will be shared out.
