By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Lack of proper lobbying and inexperience has prevented the Independent legislators, the second largest constituent of the Congress-led MUA-II coalition government, from getting inducted in the Ministry.
With the Congress claiming all 12 cabinet berths and the coalition partner NCP being awarded the post of Deputy Speaker, the 12 Independents supporting the Government is at a loss since none of them were accommodated in the ministry.
The Independent members supporting the MUA-II coalition have been accommodated either as Parliamentary Secretaries or as Chairpersons of various boards and corporations.
Lack of unity among the Independents prevented them from being able to bargain for Cabinet berths.
Moreover, there is no proper forum of Independent MLAs which could have exerted pressure on Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma to accommodate them in the ministry.
Majority of the Independents are new comers and inexperienced in politics and when there was an offer from the Congress to support the Government they wholeheartedly supported the Chief Minister, a party source said.
When the UDP with ten legislators was sharing power with the Congress-led MUA-I coalition in the past, two ministers — BM Lanong and JA Lyngdoh — from the party were accommodated as ministers in the Mukul Sangma-led Cabinet.
When contacted, a few Independent legislators said that since they are new to State politics, they will wait and watch before taking further steps to stake their claim for Cabinet berths.