By IANS,
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma is set to expand his ministry Saturday with the induction of eight ministers.
“Remaining eight ministers will be inducted Saturday morning,” Sangma told IANS from New Delhi, where he is camping to finalise names of the remaining members of his council of ministers with the Congress high command.
According to party sources, the remaining eight ministers would be mainly from the Congress. The probables include Rowell Lyngdoh, H.D.R. Lyngdoh, Frankenstein W. Momin and Augustine D.Marak.
Former ministers in the D.D. Lapang cabinet – R.C. Laloo, Prestone Tynsong and Ampareen Lyngdoh, the lone woman legislator – are also in the list of probables, the sources said.
The Lapang government collapsed after 14 Congress legislators asked him to sack two Independents – Ismail R. Marak and Limison Sangma – and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) leader Paul Lyngdoh from the cabinet and induct Congress members in their place. When Lapang failed to do so, the rebels pressed for his removal.
Sangma, who took oath as chief minister Tuesday, is heading the five-party Congress-United Democratic Party (UDP) coalition government.
Along with him, A.T. Mondal (Independent), J.A. Lyngdoh and Bindo Mathew Lanong of the UDP were also sworn-in – Lanong as deputy chief minister. The three were members of the Lapang ministry as well.
In the 60-member legislature, the Congress has 28 legislators and has the support of 10 UDP members, five Independents and one KHNAM legislator. The main opposition, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has 15 members.