- Dissidents prefer Speaker

Shillong, April 5: Faced with a rebellion from the Congress dissidents who are demanding a change of leadership, Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang today met Governor R.S. Mooshahary to discuss the political situation and find a way out of the present crisis.

A Congress source today said Lapang, during his meeting with the governor, explored the possibility of shuffling the ministry to satisfy the dissidents who are demanding a leadership change, shifting from their earlier demand for a reshuffle.

The chief minister also apprised the governor of the sudden removal of his adviser Anish Gandhi by the AICC.

Gandhi, on the other hand, had claimed that he had resigned from the post (adviser to the chief minister) on April 2.

The dissidents, claiming the support of 17 out of the total 28 Congress members, had a series of meetings today to work out a strategy to oust Lapang and present their views once the AICC observer arrives in Shillong.

A senior Congress dissident leader said they were pushing Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope as the next leader if the AICC effects a change of leadership.

However, when contacted, Speaker Pyngrope told The Telegraph today that he had to play a non-partisan role as far as the emerging political developments were concerned.

“The dissidents have not approached me directly regarding the change of leadership. As a Speaker, I am distancing myself as of now. But it is up to the high command to take a final decision on whom they want to select as the next leader,” the Speaker added.

Some Congress legislators close to the chief minister said the initial thinking of Lapang was to effect a reshuffle in the one-year-old Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) to accommodate at least some of the disgruntled senior Congress legislators in the ministry.

The ministers who are likely to be axed to pave way for the induction of a few senior Congress legislators include civil defence and homeguards minister Paul Lyngdoh from the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents.

The Independents include taxation minister A.T. Mondal, excise minister Limison Sangma and transport minister Ismail Marak.