SHILLONG: 2011 is marked by political uncertainties not only in the State Government but even in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).
The political drama in the State was orchestrated by ambitious MLAs within the Congress party which is leading the MUA Government. 17 Congress legislators demanded the removal of Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma who had taken over barely a year ago. The dissidents projected former Chief Minister DD Lapang as their new leader. A year ago the same MLAs wanted Dr Sangma in place of Mr Lapang.
During this period of political uncertainty several Congress MLAs camped in Delhi for weeks together and shuttled between Shillong and Delhi for several months on the plea of meeting AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
This created a governance deadlock since files stopped moving as ministers were not around to clear them.
Even Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma became a frequent flier to Delhi as he tried desperately to save his chair. In reverse gear many AICC leaders visited Shillong to resolve the infighting within the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).
During this episode, Congress legislators from Garo Hills – FW Momin, Augustine Marak, Sayeedulah Nongrum, Saleng Sangma and Samuel Sangma claimed that they received threatening messages on their mobile phones from certain persons claiming to be members of the militant outfit – GNLA – for raising the banner of revolt against Dr Sangma.
Finally the High Command (A year of political uncertainties
(Contd from P-1) gave its blessings to Dr Sangma and he effected a Cabinet reshuffle to end the leadership issue crisis. Sangma dropped four rebel Congress Ministers – Founder S Cajee, Prestone Tynsong, Frankenstein W Momin and Augustine D Marak.
In their place, AL Hek, Saleng M Sangma and Shitlang Pale were inducted. However, Umroi legislator Stanly Wiss Rymbai who was also supposed to be inducted in the Cabinet played truant at the last minute and could not be sworn in. His place remained vacant for several months.
Rymbai’s volte-face, however, was a blessing in disguise for Dr Mukul as it allowed him to drive a bargain with his detractors even as many of them held high hopes of being sworn in as the 12th man.
The political drama took a new twist after Lapang and Tynsong secretly went to meet the AICC president without taking the dissident MLAs into confidence.
After meeting Sonia Gandhi, Lapang claimed that a formula was being worked out whereby all the four dropped Ministers would be re-inducted. But finally only Tynsong was re-inducted.
Former Community and Rural Development Minister FW Momin slammed Lapang for betraying the dissident group.
Just at the time when the Chief Minister was getting a breather, the NCP sprung a surprise and moved a no-confidence motion against Dr Mukul during the last Autumn Assembly Session.
There was high drama in the House during the debate on the no-confidence motion. While the opposition pressed for a secret ballot, the ruling party said the matter should be settled by voice vote.
Finally, Assembly Speaker took the middle path by deciding to go for a head count to decide the fate of no-confidence motion against Dr Mukul.
After six hours of marathon debate, Mukul Sangma emerged victorious from the no-confidence motion against him which was convincingly defeated.
However, the political instability was not restricted only to the State Government. Infighting ensued even among the Congress MDCs in the JHADC.
The Congress MDCs shifting their allegiance from one camp to another. The Congress MDCs who were supporting Hambertus Nongtdu shifted their allegiance to Lamdibok Sumer within a few weeks.
The Congress even constituted a committee to resolve the ‘ongoing rumblings’ in the JHADC. The committee comprised Union Minister of State and Water Resources Vincent H Pala, party legislators from Jaintia Hills and 27 Congress MDCs of the JHADC.
Initially, in the meeting convened by the MPCC, the MDCs had actually elected Hambertus Nongtdu as their leader. But when the special session of the Council was convened, there was a new twist with the JHADC Congress MDCs defying the party directive by electing Lamdibok Sumer as the chief executive member instead of Nongtdu. After his election, Sumer, who had the backing of 16 members, formed his executive committee.
The political rumblings finally ended after the Congress MLAs from Jaintia Hills led by Union Minister of State for Water Resources Vincent H Pala convinced the party MDCs to settle their differences and jointly work for the betterment of the Council and the party.
The closing part of the year also saw the merger of KHNAM with the UDP as part of a common strategy to strengthen the regional forces in the State. However the merger was not without its hiccups. There was vociferous opposition from some KHNAM leaders led by its general secretary Pyndapborthiaw Saiborne.
Despite the opposition, the KHNAM General Council unanimously resolved to dissolve the party to pave way for the merger. Following the merger, KHNAM supremo Paul Lyngdoh was given the post of the Working President and spokesperson of the UDP. Many KHNAM leaders were also accommodated in various positions in the UDP as part of the merger.
However, political analyst believe that the merger of the two parties is only a temporary arrangement for the upcoming 2013 Assembly election.
Meanwhile, this year also saw the much anticipated revamp of the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC). The State Government brought in this new initiative to restore public confidence in the Commission.
2011 also saw the delay in the appointments of the chairpersons to various Commission’s by the State Government.
The MPSC was without a chairperson for nearly six months after the former chairperson Sonachi B Sangma retired on September 30 2010.
The State Government finally appointed former Andhra Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Tigidi as the new chairman of the MPSC in April 2011.
There was a similar delay in the appointment of the State Chief Information Commissioner. The delay happened because the Government was waited for Principal Secretary CD Kynjing to retire before taking up his post.
Kynjing was finally appointed as the new State Chief Information Commissioner after a gap for over four months since the last incumbent laid down office.
Besides these two, there was also a delay in the appointment of the chairperson of
the Meghalaya State Women’s Commission (MSCW).
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma had made a flippant remark that the reason for the elay was because there were too many competent women who are eligible for the appointment. Finally, Meghalaya Co-operative Apex Bank chairperson Roshan Warjri was appointed as the chairperson of the MSCW.
Interestingly, Warjri did not feature in the list which was recommended by the Social Welfare department for appointment to the post.
Meanwhile, N Ramachandran, a 1978 batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as the new Director General of Police of Meghalaya. Ramachandran, who was the DGP Home Guards in Assam prior to his appointment had a wide range of experience serving in various posts, including IGP in Assam Special Branch and the elite SPG.
