Lapang sworn-in as CM after Rymbai bows out

Shillong, Mar 10 (UNI) In a day of swift developments in Meghalaya Mr D D Lapang was today sworn as the Chief Minister after incumbent J D Rymbai bowed out following the wishes of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Rymbai had taken over the mantle of the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government from Mr Lapang on June 15 last year after 17 Congress legislators accused the latter of indulging in 'manipulative politics'.

Earlier in the day, Mr Rymbai submitted his resignation to Governor M M Jacob to pave way for Mr Lapang to head the government.

But the outgoing chief minister had been defiant for the past five days to Mrs Gandhi's directive to step down. This morning, after a closed-door meeting with senior AICC leader and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, he resigned.

''I have been asked by Mr Dasmunshi to abide by the party high command's decision to quit and pave way for Mr Lapang,'' Mr Rymbai told reporters after handing over his resignation letter to Mr Jacob.

Developments began unfolding fast on March 6 when the Congress President held a closed-door meeting with Mr Rymbai in Delhi in presence of AICC in-charge (North East) Oscar Fernandes and ordered him to quit and hand over the reins to Mr Lapang.

However, Mr Rymbai initially defied the party diktat and said he would resign only after consulting 'loyal Congress MLAs' and his coalition partners.

But this morning he put in his papers and said the decision was taken after thorough deliberation with 14 of his 'loyal' Congress MLAs who unanimously asked him to quit.

Mr Rymbai said Mr Dasmunsi had assured him that four of his loyalists would be inducted in the new ministry.

Incidentally, Mr Rymbai, who enjoyed the support of 15 of the 29 Congress MLAs, was also being backed by 16 MLAs belonging to four regional parties--United Democratic Party(8), Meghalaya Democratic Party(4), Hill State People's Democratic Party(2) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement(2).

The opposition Nationalist Congress Party with eight MLAs had also extended outside support to the Rymbai-led government.

UNI