Sangma rebukes Lapang for raising 4 MLAs to his rank

NCP leader P A Sangma on Wednesday criticised Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang for having four legislators equivalent to his rank. Participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the Governor for his address,Sangma said “the whole of India is laughing at us. People ask me how is it that you have four chief ministers.” The NCP leader suggested that the state should go for ‘additional chief ministers’,‘joint chief ministers’ and ‘co-chief ministers’ if there were political “compulsions”. Lapang,in his reply,retorted that he was inspired by the previous NCP-led government who had three MLAs in the rank and status of Chief Minister ¿ Donkupar Roy,JD Rymbai and PA Sangma himself. “I was inspired and I thought of having one more. If it is wrong today,why was it not wrong yesterday. What we say,we should mean,” Lapang hit back at Sangma. Lapang claimed that giving the rank of a Chief Minister to those MLAs who had been chief ministers in the past,helps maintain the status of the person. “It gives them the command and respect from officials and people. The status also helps him deliver the goods,” Lapang reasoned,adding his party high command has never questioned him on this front. He also claimed that the financial implication of having four CMs is negligible as the difference is only Rs 500 hundred in case of the salary. PCC President Friday Lyngdoh,State Planning Board Chairman Donkupar Roy and Meghalaya Economic Development Council Chairman JD Rymbai are enjoying that status of chief minister in Meghalaya besides Lapang.