SHILLONG: As the ruling MDA enters the halfway point, there are fresh moves in the three junior partners, BJP, HSPDP and PDF, for accommodating those who are waiting in the wings for a cabinet berth.
The issue figured at the press briefing of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday, who refused to be drawn into any controversy over selection of ministers representing these groups.
He made it clear that it was not for him to interfere in the selection of ministers.
Sangma has conveyed to all the partners that there was allotted quota of berth for each of the political party supporting the alliance and based on the quota, it will be decision of the respective political to whom their nominee would be.
There seems to be some internal rumblings in at least of the coalition parties — BJP and HSPDP.
Currently AL Hek is the Cabinet Minister out of BJPs quota of one berth.
Last year, it may be recalled, the two BJP MLAs — Sanbor Shullai and AL Hek — had a war of words over the cabinet berth.
Shullai claimed that there was an internal arrangement in the party that both the MLAs would be the ministers for a period of two and half years each which was rubbished upfront by Hek.
Informed sources said the Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who was the architect of the coalition, had also affirmed that there was no such commitment from BJP.
However, now both the MLAs and even the party leadership in Meghalaya are of the view that central leadership of the party should take a final call.
Similarly, HSPDP MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar is known to be a ministerial aspirant and he would be hoping that at the half-way mark of the MDA Government he would be replacing Sohiong MLA, Samlin Malngiang as a minister.
