NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI, May 27: Most of the contenders for berths in the Manmohan Singh-led Council of Ministers from Asom were disappointed today when they found that barring BK Handique who had taken oath along with the Prime Minister as a Cabinet minister, none of them were included in the 78-member Union Council of Ministers.
Till recently, the expectation from various quarters in Asom was that at least two more MPs from the State would get berths in the Council of Ministers. What is even more astonishing is that while Asom with as many as seven MPs in the Lok Sabha and three MPs in the Rajya Sabha (excluding Manmohan Singh) from the Congress got only one ministerial berth, Meghalaya with only two MPs (one from Congress and the other from NCP) got exactly two ministerial berths, thanks to the intense and tactful lobbying by the leaders of the neighbouring State who seem to be much ahead of their Asom counterparts. Both Vincent Pala and Agatha Sangma of Meghalaya got berths in the Council of Ministers, and Agatha Sangma has the distinction of being the youngest minister at the Centre.
Many senior Congress leaders from Asom like Pabon Singh Ghatowar, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Congress’ lone woman MP from the Northeast Rani Narah and SK Bwiswmuthiary of BPF were in the race.
Talking to The Sentinel, an offended BPF president Hagrama Mohilary said: “We have to discuss the matter at the party forum. We are a pre-poll ally of the Congress. During the last UPA meeting, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that members of the pre-poll allies of the Congress would be accommodated in the ministry. But she couldn’t keep her commitment.” THE SENTINEL
Till recently, the expectation from various quarters in Asom was that at least two more MPs from the State would get berths in the Council of Ministers. What is even more astonishing is that while Asom with as many as seven MPs in the Lok Sabha and three MPs in the Rajya Sabha (excluding Manmohan Singh) from the Congress got only one ministerial berth, Meghalaya with only two MPs (one from Congress and the other from NCP) got exactly two ministerial berths, thanks to the intense and tactful lobbying by the leaders of the neighbouring State who seem to be much ahead of their Asom counterparts. Both Vincent Pala and Agatha Sangma of Meghalaya got berths in the Council of Ministers, and Agatha Sangma has the distinction of being the youngest minister at the Centre.
Many senior Congress leaders from Asom like Pabon Singh Ghatowar, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Congress’ lone woman MP from the Northeast Rani Narah and SK Bwiswmuthiary of BPF were in the race.
Talking to The Sentinel, an offended BPF president Hagrama Mohilary said: “We have to discuss the matter at the party forum. We are a pre-poll ally of the Congress. During the last UPA meeting, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that members of the pre-poll allies of the Congress would be accommodated in the ministry. But she couldn’t keep her commitment.” THE SENTINEL
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