Shillong, July 2: After some hiccups, things appear to have fallen in place for the Congress led-Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government with chief minister D.D. Lapang refusing to buckle under pressure while downsizing his ministry. Lapang, who has submitted his list of 12 ministers to AICC president Sonia Gandhi and is awaiting her approval, said after the last cabinet meeting of the 41-member MDA ministry that he would ?justify? his selection when the time came.
The 97th amendment to the Constitution stipulates that Meghalaya has to reduce the size of its ministry from 41 to 12 in the House of 60 MLAs. The deadline for the downsizing expires on July 6.
Though things were going according to plan when Lapang travelled to Delhi with his list, last minute lobbying by the ministers and MLAs in the national capital led to speculation about a possible change in the original list.
Lapang today hosted a luncheon at Umiam for his 41 outgoing ministers.
Though he refused to divulge the names of the selected ministers, he hinted that the presidents of the regional coalition partners, senior MLAs of the Congress and ?some effective ministers? would be part of the downsized ministry.
?I held consultations with the core committee on downsizing and two rounds of meetings with chairman of the special committee Motilal Vora and other members of the committee like Ahmed Patel and Ambika Soni on the downsizing issue,? Lapang said.
He added, ?I also met AICC secretary in-charge of the Northeast Salman Khursheed and Doner minister P.R. Kyndiah.?
Sources said the list is likely to include J.D. Rymbai, Friday Lyngdoh, H.D.R. Lyngdoh, Mukul Sangma, Debora Marak, Manirul Islam Sarkar, Cyprian Sangma and Nehlang Lyngdoh of the Congress, United Democratic Party president Donkupar Roy, Meghalaya Democratic Party president Martle Mukhim and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (Khnam) chief Paul Lyngdoh, besides the chief minister himself.
The chief minister said that after the 12-member ministry was formed, he would accommodate the ministers who had been left out as chairmen of various departments. He added that a consultative committee, comprising three to four departments, would be formed to accommodate the senior legislators of the MDA.
Sources said Mukul Sangma would be asked to take charge of the home department as well education, taxation and information technology. The PWD portfolio, which Mukul Sangma had, might be given to his partyman Cyprian Sangma.