HDR eyes CM chair in absence of veterans

SHILLONG: Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh is not only confident of winning from Sohiong but is hopeful that he will be the next deputy chief minister or chief minister after two party veterans, RC Laloo and DD Lapang, bowed out.
Addressing a gathering at Nongpathaw in Sohiong on Saturday, Lyngdoh said he has been an MLA for five consecutive terms and is time to take on the mantle of deputy chief minister or chief minister after seeing an opportunity in the wake of the exit of Lapang and Laloo.
“If I become the deputy chief minister, I will be able to bring more developmental works and programmes in the constituency,” the minister said.
Lyngdoh’s name had come up in connection with the trafficking and rape of a 13-year-old girl at the end of last year. The girl was raped several times in a city guest house that is owned by the minister’s family. Despite demand from several quarters for his resignation, the chief minister had not taken any action against him.
On his joining the Congress, Lyngdoh said on Saturday, “I had a talk with (late) Hoping (Hoping Stone Lyngdoh) and he willingly allowed me to leave HSPDP for the Congress with a challenge that I should be able to bring more developmental works in the constituency.”
He added that he received the blessings of the late leader before he left the party.