Rymbai to replace Lapang as new Meghalaya CM

He was unanimously elected to lead the three-and-half-year-old Meghalaya Democratic Alliance in the presence of Congress observers.

Rebel Congress leader JD Rymbai was on Thursday unanimously elected at a legislature party meeting to head coalition government in Meghalaya after Chief Minister DD Lapang stepped down following his failure to muster adequate support from the 29 party legislators.

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Rymbai will be sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday evening together with two ministers of the Lapang cabinet -- Donkupar Roy of the United Democratic Party and Martle Mukhim of the Meghalaya Democratic Party.

He was unanimously elected to lead the three-and-half-year-old Meghalaya Democratic Alliance in the presence of Congress observers and Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and Oscar Fernandes.

The Congress Legislature Party meeting was convened after party president Sonia Gandhi asked Lapang, who was summoned to Delhi on Wednesday, to prove his majority. Congress dissidents started a campaign on June 5 to demand a change of leadership, saying Lapang's style of functioning was 'autocratic.'

At Thursday's meeting, Lapang could muster the support of only 12 Congress legislators, while Rymbai secured the backing of 17 MLAs. After this, Lapang said he was stepping down to pave the way for Rymbai.

Expressing confidence that the new arrangement would resolve the crisis, Mukherjee, flanked by Fernandes, Ved Prakash, besides state Congress president OL Nongtdu, said the coalition arrangement would remain intact.