Shillong, March 7 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma again left for New Delhi Thursday to finalise with the Congress high command the names of his 11-member council of ministers.
This is the second time that Sangma has air-dashed to the national capital for approval.
"I am leaving for New Delhi this afternoon to get the list of the ministers approved by our Congress president (Sonia Gandhi)," Sangma told journalists after the oath-taking by the newly-elected legislators.
The chief minister is accompanied by former forest and environment minister Prestone Tynsong and Independent legislator Samuel Sangma.
Sangma said he would expand his ministry next week once the list of council of ministers is finalized by the Congress chief.
"I won't be able to share the names of my council of ministers with you all now, but will know soon after madam (Gandhi) approves the list," he said.
According to party sources, the 11 ministers would be mainly from the Congress.
The probables are Tynsong, Rowell Lyngdoh, H.D.R. Lyngdoh, R.C. Laloo, Deborah C. Marak, Ampareen Lyngdoh, Alexander Hek, Coming One Ymbon, Celestine Lyngdoh, Zenith Sangma and Limison D. Sangma.
Sangma, seen as the architect of the Congress's victory in the assembly elections, was sworn-in as the 26th Chief Minister of Meghalaya Tuesday by Governor R.S. Mooshahary.
Meanwhile, a Congress legislator told IANS: "We don't know who will be made ministers, but we hope that the chief minister makes no mistakes in selecting his team."
Sangma evaded an answer as to whether the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislators would be inducted. "The NCP support to the Congress to form the government was accepted at the national level," he said.
The Congress emerged the single largest party with 29 seats -- two short of a majority in the 60-member house. The NCP, which secured two seats, and 11 independent legislators have extended "unconditional support" to the Congress.
On the other hand, Sangma revealed that the Congress is talking with the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) to support his government.
HSPDP legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, however, denied having any parleys with the Congress and said that his party would play a constructive role in the opposition.
The HSPDP, the oldest regional party in Meghalaya, won four seats in the recently concluded assembly elections.
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