Donkupar Roy takes oath as new Meghalaya CM

A seven-member coalition government of the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance ministry led by chief minister Dr Donkupar Roy was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor S S Sidhu at the Raj Bhawan in Shillong on Wednesday evening after the Congress-led minority Meghalaya United Alliance ministry led by D D Lapang had quit office earlier in the day to avoid the trial of strength in the House.

The new ministers who were sworn in include Conrad K Sangma, Paul Lyngdoh, Advisor Pariong, Al Hek, Manas Chaudhuri, and Donkupar Masser.

The new ministry is likely to be expanded on Thursday. Meghalaya can have maximum number of 12 ministers. The portfolios of the ministers will be distributed later.

Earlier, Lapang had tendered his resignation to the Governor immediately after the Congress Legislature Party had met in the morning to assess the situation ahead of the trust vote scheduled for later in the day. Lapang submitted to the Governor that his party did not have the requisite numbers in the House to face the trial of strength.

He had been allowed the form the government by the Governor on March 10 after the Congress emerged the single largest party in the Assembly and asked to prove his majority in the House of 60 within ten days.

The Congress, which has 25 MLAs in the newly-elected Assembly, could muster support of only three more Independent legislators and hence failed to acquire the magic figure of 31.

Fifty-year-old Roy is the president of United Democratic Party, a constituent of the MPA that was formed after the election at the initiative of former Lok Sabha chairman and Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma.

Besides 14 NCP MLAS, 11 UDP MLAs, the MPA enjoys support of two legislators from Hill State People's Democratic Party, one  MLA each from the BJP and Khun Hynnewtrap National Awakening Movement and two Independents MLAS – Manas Chaudhuri and Donkupar Masser.

Roy, who has been elected to the state Assembly for the fifth time in a row since 1987, has been chosen as the chief minister by the MPA for the first two and a half years, after which the mantle will be passed on to the NCP leader P A Sangma as per the agreements reached by the MPA constituents among themselves.

Roy had first won the Shella assembly seat bordering Bangladesh as an independent candidate in 1987 since then he has been winning all the subsequent polls. He joined the UDP just before 1998 Assembly election.