Meghalaya CM to reshuffle ministry

Shillong, Jun 27 (UNI) Chief Minister Donkupar Roy has said the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government would carry out a reshuffle of the ministry after two-and-a-half years.

The reshuffle would be between the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Nationalist Congress Party, Dr Roy told reporters here yesterday after chairing the central executive committee meeting of UDP.

Earlier, before the formation of the MPA government, the NCP and UDP had agreed in principle to share power for two-and-a-half years each.

Dr Roy, who is the president of UDP, will hold the post of chief minister for the first half of the term after which the post will go to NCP leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma.

Dr Roy said the exercise would be carried out to accommodate ''senior legislators'' in the ministry.

The present MPA government has three UDP and NCP legislators each in the cabinet, which would undergo change.

However, the reshuffle would not affect ministers belonging to HSPDP, KHNAM, BJP and Independents, the CM said.

Ruling out rumours of differences within the UDP after some senior party legislators were left out from the present cabinet, Dr Roy said, ''These senior legislators would be accommodated in due course of time.

''All the legislators in the MPA are united and they have expressed faith in the leadership of the present Chief Minister,'' UDP general secretary RA Lyngdoh asserted.

Meanwhile, the UDP formed an election committee to select candidates for the upcoming MP and district council elections.

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