Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma drops senior Congress leaders from Cabinet for 'anti-party activities'

Shillong: Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday dropped senior Congress leaders Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar from his Cabinet for their alleged anti-party activities. Tynsong had been a Cabinet minister for over 13 years under three chief ministers and is known to have openly said that he has never been dropped despite leading many dissident moves against former chief ministers. [caption id=“attachment_1104527” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Mukul Sangma. PIB[/caption] He was instrumental in backing Sangma when he ousted DD Lapang from the chief ministerial post in April 2010. Dhar, a coal tycoon and a former contractor, had openly announced a rival candidate against Cabinet minister RC Laloo in West Jaintia Hills district and the state Congress has been petitioned for his ouster for his open anti-party activities. Sangma met Governor Banwari Lal Purohit during the day and advised him on the dropping of the two ministers and on the induction of new ones. “I have met the governor to apprise him on the issue. On Friday, you will have new Cabinet ministers,” Sangma told PTI on the sidelines of a programme here but said the dropping and induction of ministers in the Cabinet is nothing new. “It is a question of creating new space for some of our colleagues and at the same time, friends who have been in the Cabinet will then be available to do further work for the party,” he said. However, a senior party leader told PTI on the condition of anonymity that, “The two leaders were dropped from the Cabinet for their dissident moves within the Congress and their remote connections with other parties.” The announcement came a day after the AICC formed a 10-member election panel in the state in an attempt to stop disgruntled party MLAs, many of whom have openly aired their unhappiness with the chief minister, from joining the BJP or regional outfit National People’s Party ahead of the Assembly polls 2018. The panel is headed by state party chief DD Lapang and Sangma, former speaker Charles Pyngrope are among its members along with dissident leader Deborah Marak. Congress MPs Vincent H Pala and Wansuk Syiem did not feature in it. Comingone Ymbon and Celestine Lyngdoh are likely to be inducted in the Cabinet on Friday, a senior Congress leader said.