From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: Ending days of suspense and politicking for the coveted ‘12th position’ in Dr Mukul Sangma’s Cabinet, Prestone Tynsong, who was earlier ousted, is most likely to be reinducted into the ministry, AICC sources said on Sunday.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place in the Raj Bhawan either on Monday or Tuesday, the sources, on condition of anonymity, said to The Shillong Times.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma who arrived here on Saturday ostensibly to get the final clearance from the AICC for Tynsong’s reinduction, returned back to the State capital on Sunday.
Reinducting Tynsong into the Cabinet is part of the mega patch-up deal between the dissidents and the loyalists reached at the mediation of the party high command when the anti-leadership move reached its peak a few weeks back. The idea was to work together by bringing back unity among the Congressmen to face the next assembly polls as desired by Sonia Gandhi who refused any change of leadership, the sources said.
Tynsong’s re-entry into the Cabinet was not that easy despite the patch up deal, since the dissidents had demanded taking back all the four dropped ministers. The demand was however, snubbed by the AICC and the Chief Minister.
Tynsong’s re-appointment was opposed by some of the loyalists and even dissidents, who proposed several others names like that of former Speaker MM Dango and Stanlywiss Rymbai, who was even invited for the swearing-in ceremony, but abstained citing ‘medical reasons’.
Pending the vacancy many minister and ministerial aspirants including those dropped made a beeline to the national capital. The visiting ministers feared that they might be dropped to accommodate others while aspirants and dropped ministers tried their best to be considered for filling the slot.
Around the same time, differences creeped up in the dissident camp with some leaders like FW Momin questioning the validity of the patch up reached between Dr Sangma and former Chief Minister and leader of the dissident group DD Lapang.
Tynsong’s last minute support to Dr Sangma at a crucial juncture turned the tide in his favour and sealed any chance of a Lapang comeback.
When questioned why the AICC had to rush for the settlement, the sources said that even after the patch up both the factions were not working together whole heartedly, which is neither good for the State nor the party.
Moreover, the Assembly session due next month was also causing worry for the party.
Meanwhile, MPCC president Dr Friday Lyngdoh, who was here to meet the Prime Minister, had said that filling the vacant 12th slot in the Cabinet is a prerogative of the Chief Minister.
“I as the MPCC president will come into the picture only if a non-Congressman is inducted as a Minister,” he had said while speaking to this scribe.
AICC general secretary in-charge of the State, Dr Dhaniram Shandil, was, however, more candid. “We have sorted out the matter and as per the patch up it is the Chief Minister who will decide on the name for the 12th man,” he had said.
It may not be out of place to mention that Tynsong has been acting as a catalyst in every change of Government the State has witnessed since the tenure of JD Rymbai.
