Rymbai ready to step down as Meghalaya CM

Shillong, Aug 20 (UNI) In the wake of losing his majority in the Congress Legislature Party, beleaguered Meghalaya Chief Minister J Dringwel Rymbai today said that he is ready to step down if AICC president Sonia Gandhi directs him to do so.

''I will abide by the party high command's decision,'' Mr Rymbai told UNI here, admitting that he no longer enjoys majority support as the CLP leader.

However, Mr Rymbai said it entirely depends on the Congress party to decide the party's fate in Meghalaya especially when the state is going to fresh polls on 2008.

''The party high command will decide whether they prefer performance of the government or the number game,'' the Chief Minister stated.

Mr Rymbai took over the helm of affairs from DD Lapang in mid-June this year after 17 dissident Congress Legislators favoured him to lead the state, while charging the latter with ''indulging in manipulative politics''.

But immediately after Mr Rymbai assumed office, fresh dissidence surfaced again in the Congress party after Congress legislator K K Dkhar was not inducted in the ministry.

The rebel Congress MLAs, who had chosen Mr Rymbai as Mr Lapang's successor, today termed the former as an ''inefficient leader,'' ahead of the 2008 assembly polls.

''We have proved our strength to Mrs Gandhi in New Delhi last month and Mr Rymbai should gracefully step down to pave the way for Mr Lapang,'' said a dissident Congress legislator on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, leaders of the four regional parties, which are part of the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, had cautioned the AICC not to take unilateral decision with regard to the change of guard in the state.

The presidents of the four regional parties--United Democratic Party, Meghalaya Democratic Party, Hills State People's Democratic Party and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement, had informed Mr Rymbai that they still had faith in his leadership.

The Congress has 29 MLAs in the House of 60.

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