SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said on Friday his job is to reverse the anti-Congress wave and “the party knows what is to be done” in the face of threats from BJP and NPP.
Sangma was replying to a query on the challenges for the Congress as BJP and NPP flex their muscles in the State ahead of the 2018 elections.
However, the chief minister skirted ‘thorny’ questions on two former ministers, Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, who were dropped from the Cabinet allegedly for their anti-party activities.
Addressing media persons after the swearing in of Celestine Lyngdoh and Comingone Ymbon, Sangma chose to maintain silence when asked whether the thorns were removed with the reshuffling.
Instead, Sangma said Cabinet reshuffles “create healthy environment and put to rest all perceptions of disunity and disgruntlement” and frequent changes should have been held earlier.
“We want to create space for everyone so that it can be utilised for enabling us to find who can be there in our endeavour to serve the people,” he added as he advocated for Cabinet rejigs.
Lyngdoh and Ymbon were sworn in as ministers on Friday, a day after Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar were dropped from the Cabinet.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at Raj Bhavan.
Tynsong and Dhar were absent from the ceremony.
Denying allegations that the reshuffling was effected following differences with former ministers Dhar and Tynsong, Sangma said it was important to utilise people who were available to serve the government and the party.
The chief minister wants other ministers to make way for new faces and focus on respective constituencies and party affairs.
When asked if the issue of anti-party activities of two former ministers was discussed in the meeting with AICC, Sangma said it was not part of the talks but there were discussions on strategies and how to integrate the government and the organisation.
Speaking on the new arrangement in his Cabinet, Sangma pointed out that the new members would have to acclimatize themselves with the new challenges and responsibilities.
When asked about the absence of Tynsong and Dhar in the Cabinet meetings, Sangma said, “It is not correct and the Chief Minister’s Office always verifies as to who are available for the cabinet meeting. He also said that sometimes programmes for the Ministers are fixed well ahead.”
Lyngdoh, who represents Umsning constituency, has been allotted the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, earlier held by Tynsong. Ymbon, MLA from Raliang, has got the Community and Rural Development Department that was under Dhar.
The oath-taking ceremony was also attended by senior cabinet minister, Congress president, DD Lapang and others.
