Meghalaya CM removes two ministers, two new faces to be sworn in today

Shillong: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma late on Wednesday night dropped two of his Cabinet ministers and replaced them with as many new faces. While one of the dropped ministers is from the National People's Party (NPP), the other is from the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP).

The Ministers -- Samlin Malngiang of the HSPDP and Comingone Ymbon of the NPP -- were dropped nearly a month after the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government completed two-and-half years in power on September 6.

While Samlin Malngiang is the PHE minister of Meghalaya, Ymbon heads the fishery department.

The Chief Minister had last week hinted that a reshuffle was on the cards and was subject to the go-ahead from his coalition partners. According to reports, the reshuffling has been done in order to facilitate rotation of ministerial berths among the MDA's berths.

A statement from the Meghalaya government said the two new Ministers will be sworn in at 5 pm on Thursday, October 1.

Earlier today, Sangma called on Governor Satya Pal Malik at the Raj Bhavan and submitted a list of the legislators who will take oath as new ministers of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.

With these new entrants, now there will be two families with two members each in the Cabinet. Dasakhiatbha Lamare, the nephew of Commerce and Industries minister Sngiawbhalang Dhar, will replace Comingone Ymbon in the Cabinet.

Conrad Sangma and his brother, James, are the other two in the Meghalaya Cabinet from the same family.

After being relieved of his duties as a minister, senior NPP leader Ymbon said it is the prerogative of the chief minister whom he wants in his Cabinet. "I'll just go by his decision."

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