SHILLONG: Even before the appointment of the new Assembly Speaker, there is a demand from the UDP for a cabinet berth in the MDA ministry.
Since a senior UDP minister will be accommodated as the new Speaker, there will be a vacancy in the Cabinet which will eventually go to a UDP legislator.
In the present ministry, the three Cabinet Ministers from the UDP are Metbah Lyngdoh, Lahkmen Rymbui and Kyrmen Shylla.
Leaders of UDP Mawthadraishan Circle said that Mawthadraishan legislator H Brolding Nongsiej should get a ministerial berth.
The leaders from UDP Mawthadraishan Circle also said that the Speaker’s post should be UDP’s share and that one of the UDP ministers should sacrifice his cabinet berth for the Speaker’s post.
The post of Speaker is vacant following the death of UDP president Donkupar Roy on July 28.
The circle leaders argued that Nongsiej had won the Assembly elections twice and he is fit to be a Minister.
The UDP has 6 legislators and two associate members – SK Sunn and Samuel Sangma.