SHILLONG, March 6: With North Garo Hills remaining unrepresented in the Meghalaya cabinet for over 15 years, speculations are rife that a potential reshuffle later this year could finally bring the district a ministerial berth.
Senior NPP leader and Resubelpara MLA TD Shira acknowledged the long-standing demand for representation but maintained that there is no direct pressure on Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to accommodate a legislator from the district. “There is no demand from our side, and we are not going to pressurise the Chief Minister. However, there are people who want at least one MLA from North Garo Hills to be given a cabinet berth,” Shira said.
The district was left out of the cabinet even during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, reportedly due to a lack of suitable candidates. The trend has continued under the present government
While Shira downplayed the urgency of the demand, he admitted that there is a 50-50 chance of North Garo Hills getting representation in the Cabinet, though a reshuffle at this juncture might not be convenient for the Chief Minister.
