Shillong, June 30: The Meghalaya list of 12 probables holds no surprise: senior Congress leaders retain their berths, as do heads of all the coalition parties. Sources in the AICC said the list, which Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang had planned a week ago in consultation with “close aides” and submitted to the AICC today, has “not changed”.
The only change could be the inclusion of either Nehlang Lyngdoh or Sitlang Pale, both Congress legislators, in place of party MLA Charles Pyngrope.
According to the new law, which was passed by Parliament during the tenure of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, Meghalaya, like all other states, has been asked to trim its ministry from the existing 41 to 12.
The deadline for the downsizing is July 6.
AICC sources said the 12 names which were handed over to senior leaders for a final look includes senior Congress legislators like J.D. Rymbai, Friday Lyngdoh, Mukul Sangma and Debora Marak, besides chief minister D.D. Lapang.
The other Congressmen included in the list are Manirul Islam Sarkar, Cyprian Sangma, H.D.R Lyngdoh and Nehlang Lyngdoh or Sitlang Pale.
Lapang has not disturbed the regional balance either. Finance minister Donkupar Roy, veteran politician and public health engineering minister Martle Mukhim and sports minister Paul Lyngdoh who are presidents of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement respectively, will retain their berths.
The source said Lapang has stuck to the AICC guidelines, which has directed all the Congress-ruled states to involve senior politicians who are also presidents of all the coalition partners, in the downsized ministry.
However, the UDP still has not given up hope, lobbying to include two of its MLAs in the pruned ministry.
The UDP is the second largest coalition partner in the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance with nine MLAs. The Congress has 28 MLAs while other coalition partners like the MDP has four, the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the KHNAM have two each.
Trouble is also brewing within the Congress as leaders are using their clout to lobby with the powers that be in New Delhi.