Conrad ends Prestone dream

SHILLONG: NPP leader Prestone Tynsong, who was tipped to be the chief minister, will have to be content with a Cabinet berth after Conrad Sangma was projected as the leader.
Conrad was not keen to be the leader of the NPP legislature party and it was made known to the party before the polls.
However, the sudden change of mind is due to pressure from UDP as the party did not want Prestone to be the chief minister.
UDP president Donkupar Roy told reporters on Sunday that the condition put forward by the party was that Conrad should lead the coalition.
During the campaign, there was some reference to Tynsong as the chief ministerial candidate.
Sources said many supporters of UDP who came to meet Roy on Sunday did not want the party leadership to support the candidature of Tynsong as CM.
One reason cited by them was that in many constituencies in Khasi Hills region, NPP was a threat to UDP.
Asked why the party backed out from selecting Tynsong as the CM, Conrad said the party had not changed its stand but the circumstances led to the current situation. “The three regional parties had set a condition that I should lead the government,” Conrad said.
No Deputy CMs
BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, after staking claim to form the new government on Sunday, told reporters that the coalition government will not have any deputy chief minister unlike the outgoing Congress-led government, which had two deputy chief ministers.
He said there will be adequate representation from all the coalition partners in the Cabinet.
Sources said UDP leader Donkupar Roy will be the new Assembly Speaker and the post of Deputy Speaker may go to Sanbor Shullai.