Shillong, July 9: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang today tried to cap the dissent simmering within his own party over the downsized Meghalaya Democratic Alliance ministry. The ministry now has just 12 members. Lapang spoke to the media soon after the swearing-in ceremony of 15 parliamentary secretaries.
The government also announced a list of 11 chairmen and co-chairmen, in which former chief minister F.A. Khonglam?s name figures prominently.
Outgoing home minister R.G. Lyngdoh and senior Congress legislators K.K. Dkhar and Tony Curtis Lyngdoh stayed away from the function. Lyngdoh has openly questioned Lapang?s decisions.
Lapang also said the decision to keep nine berths ?as the quota? for the Congress, the largest coalition partner, was taken at the state level and the AICC had no role to play.