SHILLONG: After a protracted battle of over three months necessitating frequent trips to New Delhi to read the lips of Sonia Gandhi as to who will hold the reins of the government in Meghalaya the verdict has finally come – incumbent Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma will continue as Chief Minister and a major Cabinet reshuffle will take place on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister who arrived from New Delhi on Monday evening headed straightaway to the Raj Bhavan to meet Governor RS Mooshahary to apprise him of the decision to effect changes in the Cabinet.
Though he refused to name as to who would be dropped from the Cabinet, he said Shitlang Pale, AL Hek, Saleng Sangma, Stanliwiss Rymbai will be sworn in as the new ministers. They have been silent supporters of Dr Sangma in the leadership battle.
Sources told The Shillong Times that those who openly revolted against Dr Mukul Sangma namely PHE Minister Prestone Tynsong, Urban Affairs Minister FS Cajee, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Augustine Marak and Community and Rural Development Minister Frankenstein Momin will be dropped from the Cabinet.
Reacting to a query on whether the reshuffle would lead to an end to the dissidence in the Congress, the Chief Minister said, “I am not going to divulge anything more since these are the internal matters of the party.” On holding the CLP meeting, he said the matter would be discussed on Tuesday.
The swearing-in of the four new ministers will take place at the Raj Bhavan at 11 am on Tuesday, official sources said.