Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang on Monday night tendered his resignation to Governor Ranjit Sekhar Mooshahary paving the way for swearing-in of a new Chief Minister.
Mr. Lapang, who reached Shillong from Delhi in the afternoon, called on the Governor around 8 p.m. and submitted his resignation. The Governor asked him to continue until alternative arrangements are made. Mr. Lapang took oath as Chief Minister for the fifth term on May 13, 2009.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, whose election as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party remained a mere formality, arrived from Delhi to a grand reception.
Mr. Lapang had to resign in the wake of revolt by 14 Congress legislators who demanded that two independent legislators and the lone KHNAM legislator in his Cabinet be dropped to accommodate more Congress legislators in the Cabinet. The Congress legislators were disgruntled by the fact that only six of the total 28 Congress legislators were in the Lapang ministry and demanded his removal as the Chief Minister turned down their demand to dump the two independents and the KHNAM legislator from the cabinet.
