Shillong, Sep 17: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has defended his decision to retain Marcuise N Marak in the cabinet besides the two deputy chief ministers, saying Marak is a very senior leader, who has been committed to the National People’s Party (NPP) since its inception.
“…Even before the party (NPP) was formed, even in the NCP, he has been continuously in the party for a very long time,” Sangma said while pointing out that Marak is also the working president of the party.
“Keeping in mind all these factors, I felt that Marcuise N Marak must continue…,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
On dropping of two other NPP legislators – AT Mondal and Ampareen Lyngdoh – the Chief Minister said the party had given representation to the non-tribal community and women’s community in the first half of the cabinet’s term.
“It is not that we did not give them space at all to the non-tribal community or women community. We have given them the representation in the first half,” he said.
He indicated that they had to make way for some “very senior leaders who were with us for a very long time”.
He said the major cabinet reshuffle with replacement of eight ministers in 12-member cabinet was aimed at balancing representation and giving opportunities to different groups and individuals within the ruling coalition.
The other ministers who were dropped from the cabinet include NPP’s Rakkam A Sangma (Rongara Siju) and Comingone Ymbon (Raliang), UDP’s Paul Lyngdoh (West Shillong) and Kyrmen Shylla (Khliehriat), HSPDP’s Shakliar Warjri (Mawthadraishan) and BJP’s AL Hek (Pynthorumkhrah).
