SHILLONG, July 6: State BJP chief Rikman G Momin has cleared the air over a possible cabinet berth-sharing between the party’s two MLAs, Alexander L Hek and Sanbor Shullai.
“You will know when the time comes. There is nothing of that sort, and it is only the media spreading this,” he told The Shillong Times.
It is said that an internal arrangement between Hek and Shullai was made under the previous leadership of the party in Meghalaya. While the specifics of this agreement remain between the two leaders, top BJP sources have affirmed that they have an understanding for sharing the cabinet berth for two and a half years.
This, however, was done at the state level of the party. Its central leadership had no say in it.
Asked about the internal agreement, Momin said, “I don’t know whether there is an agreement or not, but right now there is nothing about reshuffle (berth-sharing)”.
As the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) 2.0 government nears two-and-a-half years of rule, there are murmurs about a possible reshuffle in the ministry, particularly concerning the two BJP legislators.
Hek, who represents the Pynthorumkhrah Assembly seat, is currently serving as a minister in the Conrad K Sangma-led government.
Shullai remains optimistic about his turn in the cabinet, according to an understanding during the formation of the government in 2023 that the change of baton will take place after the halfway mark is reached.
A similar exercise was done during the previous term of the MDA government.
