Political instability plagues many smaller states but none can match Meghalaya’s story. Ever since the state was formed in 1972, only two chief ministers, W A Sangma and S C Marak, have completed their full term in office. Think of any political jugglery to keep the government going and you would find it in Meghalaya--rotational chief ministers; independent legislator becoming the chief minister (F A Khonglam had done in 2001 what Madhu Koda did in 2006) and constitutionally unknown entities like deputy chief ministers.
Now comes the shocker. The state has four chief ministers. One constitutionally appointed by the governor and three others who have been given “rank and status of the chief minister”. They are: Donkupar Roy, state planning board chairman, J D Rymbai, chairman of Meghalaya economic development council and Friday Lyngdoh, Congress president and political advisor to the chief minister. The BJP rightly greeted the news of Lyndoh’s
Look at the current chief minister, D D Lapang’s career in the past decade-and-half. This is his fifth term as the chief minister, after he first occupied the high office in 1992. The term lasted barely a year. He again became chief minister in 2003 and remained in office till 2006 (his longest tenure so far). Then he occupied the high office thrice in the next three years, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The last time he was sworn in was on May 13, 2009.
