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Meghalaya : Rymbai New Chief Minister, Lapang ousted

	June 19, 2006

In Meghalaya, the political tide against Chief Minister D.D. Lapang finally claimed his chair when the Congress high command in New Delhi accorded its approval to replace him with J. Dringwell Rymbai. The new incumbent who was

sworn in as the state’s ninth Chief Minister on June 15. Standing in for his Meghalaya counterpart M.M. Jacob, who is on leave, Manipur Governor S.S.

Siddhu administered the oath of office to Rymbai and two other ministers, UDP president Donkupar Roy and MDP chief Martle Mukhim. Rymbai, known as “gentleman” politician, tookover the mantle of Chief ministership from Lapang

after 17 MLAs of the Congress demanded that he take over as leader of the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).

Ironically enough, the veteran leader made his foray into active politics as late as in 1983 with the help of Lapang. It was Lapang who spotted Rymbai

when he was a schoolteacher in Bhoilymbong under

Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya and convinced him to

join politics, more particularly the Congress.

Born on October 26, 1934, Rymbai made his

electoral debut as the Congress candidate from the

Jirang constituency (under Ri Bhoi district) in the

1983 Assembly elections. His career began with a

drubbing, but he followed it up with superlative

performances in 1988, 1993, 1998 and 2004.

Known for his clean image, Rymbai’s honesty

and dedication in public life earned him ministerial

berths in several Congress-led governments since

1992. He first became Minister of Animal Husbandry

and Veterinary in 1992 in the first Lapang-led

Congress government that lasted a year.

His second stint as Minister was in 1997 in the

Salseng Marak-led Congress government. Rymbai

held the Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism

portfolios in the last Lapang-led Ministry.

He held the post of Deputy Speaker of the

Assembly in 1988 and was Speaker in 1993.

Soon after taking oath as Chief Minister,

Rymbai said he would strive to “complete the

unfinished task of the MDA and maintain stability

within the party and the government”. The new

Chief Minister said his priority would be to complete

a successful term in governance and prepare the

party for the next Assembly elections, scheduled to

be held after a year-and-a-half.

“I am happy that the Congress high command

had faith in me and wanted me to lead the

government,” Rymbai said. He indicated that he

would find a “suitable position” for outgoing Chief

Minister Lapang. Rymbai also hinted that an

amendment might be brought in to accommodate

Lapang as a chairman, with the facilities of a Chief

Minister.

“The regional partners have expressed their

support to the government under my leadership

and have sent a letter to the Governor,” he said.

The new Chief Minister made it clear that he

did not want the Nationalist Congress Party as part

of the MDA. The NCP has evinced interest in

supporting a Congress-led coalition government.

Sonia ‘forced’ Lapang exit

Observers say that a series of meetings in New



Delhi and Shillong sealed Lapang’s fate. A legislature

party meeting held on Monday, June 12, had left it

to the party high command to decide whether he

should continue to head the coalition.

Union Minister Oscar Fernande and AICC

observer Ved Prakash, who had returned to New

Delhi after the first legislature party meeting to brief

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the

developments, made a second trip to Shillong with

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee to oversee the

change of guard.

Lapang had done everything - he even rushed to

rival P.A. Sangma for “outside” support from the

Nationalist Congress Party - to retain his post. In the

end, it took some coaxing by Sonia Gandhi’s emissary,

Mukherjee, and the realisation that he was fighting a

losing battle for Lapang to throw in the towel.

Mukherjee, who arrived in the state capital on

June 14, announced after a meeting with the

Congress Legislature Party that Lapang had

“expressed his desire to resign”. He also said the

high command had accepted his resignation and

approved the legislature party’s choice of Rymbai as

the head of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.

Asked why the AICC took so long to end the

impasse, Mukherjee said: “So what ? We have taken

the decision now.” The Defence Minister also denied

that the AICC had anything to do with Lapang,

Fernandes and Prakash’s visit to Sangma’s house.

“Sangma has nothing to do with the MDA.”

The Congress calls the shots in the ruling

alliance, having 29 legislators in a House of 60. Its

allies are the United Democratic Party (eight MLAs),

Meghalaya Democratic Party (four), Hill State

Peoples Democratic Party (two) and the Khun

Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (two).