Shillong, May 16: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said there has been no decision to give a cabinet berth to one of the PDF MLAs, who have recently merged with the NPP.
“No such decision on this. These are all speculations,” Sangma told reporters when responding to a query if UDP will be made to sacrifice one cabinet berth so that one of the PDF MLAs can be accommodated in the cabinet.
The MLAs of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) – Banteidor Lyngdoh (Mawkynrew) and Gavin M Mylliem (Sohra) – formally joined the National People’s Party (NPP) on May 6.
Sangma, who is also the NPP national chief, further maintained that the Sohiong election will not affect the relationship between his party and the UDP.
“No, if it (relationship) had to be affected, it would have been affected in 2023 general elections. Even in 2023 general elections there was a lot of language that was used but still we continue (as partners in the MDA government),” he said.
“We have also spoken in election time, even during 2023 general election time also; but if you recall, after the election, we have all come together and we stressed on the fact that we have been working in the past five years to take the state forward (and) in the same spirit we want to continue. Hence, yes, this is the nature of election and political parties will give speeches and sometimes words will go out of control but overall, as I said, we as coalition MDA, we have always kept the larger interest of the state in front of us,” he reasoned.
