In the north-eastern state, no less than three individuals are enjoying the perks, status and rank of Chief Minister at the expense of the tax-payer.
The real Chief Minister, Darwing Diengdoh Lapang, has been armtwisted to extend the frills of chief minister’s office to three other adversaries, the latest being Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee chief Friday Lapang.
All this to save his own chair. Since March 2008 Assembly polls, Meghalaya has seen three governments in a row. In the 60- member Assembly, the Congressruled Meghalaya United Alliance has 37 MLAs. Of this, 28 are from the Congress party and nine from UDP.Commenting on the de-valuation of the Chief Minister, a constitutionally sanctioned post, the Congress’ national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi defended: “I agree this is relatively unusual.
But it is a small state and has political instability.We hope their shoulders are broad enough to bear the political cost of the move.’’
Singhvi clarified that Lyngdoh and the other two socalled chief ministers do not have any “executive’’ power, which entirely remains vested with Chief Minister Lapang. The later was sworn in by Governor R.S. Moosahary on May 13, 2009. “The others only have the rank and status — car, security, bungalow - and nothing more,’’ he added.However, senior Congress leaders expressed their displeasure over the development.
The party is also anticipating public interest litigation in the coming days and the court would surely put a stay order.That the Lapang government came out with an official notification to upgrade Lyngdoh to Chief Minister status, has left the grand old party no place to hide.
“Keeping a government afloat has been a major problem in all the small states, one of the reason why many in the party are opposed to the formation of smaller states,’’ a senior leader of the Congress said.Besides four chief ministers, the Congress-led government in Meghalaya has two deputy chief ministers - Mukul Sangma and Bindo Lalong.
“You’ve to see all this in the context of the state’s politics. It’s a conscious political decision,’’ the Congress leader added. But the Congress high command, it was asserted, would keep away from the development that was the result of local political tussle.
It is not unknown though that days before Lyngdoh was given CMstatus he met the Sonia Gandhi with a number of MLAs in tow.