Shillong, Sept 23: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has ruled out cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the chief minister said he was not affected by the entry of the 8 UDP MLAs into BJP.
According to Conrad, there is no threat to his leadership and the government as the matter is between both the UDP and the BJP.
He also downplayed a question as to who will take credit for Khasi-Garo language recognition MRSSA implementation, simplification of process of coal mining and others as demanded by the UDP as pre- conditions for joining the BJP.
This development will not have any impact on the NPP-led MDA government, the BJP has not sought any additional seats in his cabinet, he added.
“It is a decision between two political parties, it is the decision of the respective MLAs. It has nothing to do with the NPP as such. Therefore, it is really the desire and the decision of the MLAs, so I have no comment,” he said.
He that the overall strength of the MDA remains the same since the MLAs have switched sides within the ruling coalition.
“The strength of the coalition remains the same because it is very much within the coalition, so it does not disturb the overall functioning of our government. Even if that was the case, we have a simple majority in the House and we are quite confident that everything will be as usual,” Sangma said.
The chief minister, however, admitted that there may be concerns between the UDP and the BJP.
“There will be some concerns between the two political parties because MLAs from one party have left and joined another. So, they will have to figure that out. Why they joined and what is the purpose, that is something I cannot comment on,” he said.
Regardin possible cabinet reshuffle, Sangma was categorical: “I have already made it very clear, this will not affect anything.”
Asked if the BJP has asked for more cabinet berths, he replied, “No, they have not asked anything.”
On whether the BJP’s growth poses a threat to his leadership in the long run, Sangma said, “No, there is no threat as of now. Every political party has the desire to grow. In a democracy, every party will aspire — we aspire to grow in different states. We have been working in Manipur and other states. It is a natural process.”
“We have to work towards ensuring that we keep our base strong and play our part to increase the number of seats that we have. I was always very clear that we always fight on our own terms, as our own identity and that will continue in the future,” he said.
