Senior legislator from the West Shillong constituency, Paul Lyngdoh, a seasoned political leader in Meghalaya, is back in Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s Cabinet for a second time in three years.
Earlier reporting noted: Meghalaya: Paul Lyngdoh returns as minister; Metbah quits cabinet after UDP collapse Meghalaya’s United Democratic Party (UDP) president Metbah Lyngdoh lost his cabinet berth following the political upheaval that reduced his party to a one-man outfit. Meghalaya Governor CH Vijayashankar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Lyngdoh at Lok Bhawan in Shillong on Monday in the presence of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Deputy Chief Ministers Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, Cabinet ministers and legislators from the NPP and its alliance partners. Earlier reporting noted: Paul, the West Shillong legislator who left the UDP for the NPP along with two other party colleagues, was sworn in as a cabinet minister by governor CH Vijayashankar at Lok Bhavan on Monday evening.
So it’s basically as simple as that, and it’s not possible for us to accommodate anybody else from any other political party, or in fact, anybody from NPP also at this point in time. To be very Frank with you. Meanwhile, former party colleague Paul Lyngdoh returned to the Conrad K Sangma government as a minister, this time representing the National People’s Party (NPP).
Maybe I would have seen the provisions and inducted other ministers also, but there is a limit to the number of ministers, and therefore we have to work on the basis of 12 numbers. I also said that, yes, in a situation like that, the calculations and the numbers are complicated for all of us, and so therefore when inform me and he gave the letter to me, I accepted the resignation. After navigating shifting political equations, coalition realignments and changing party loyalties, Lyngdoh has once again secured a seat at the high table, this time claiming the coveted 12th and final Cabinet slot in the Conrad Sangma-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) 2 government. He strongly felt that, that 11 of the MLAs has left, and so he felt that on moral ground that he should not be part of the cabinet, and he met me, of course, and he shared that information with me and. He was allocated the tourism portfolio, which he previously held before being dropped in the September 2025 cabinet reshuffle. Earlier reporting noted: His induction follows Metbah’s resignation from the cabinet on October 31, after 11 of the UDP’s 12 legislators left the party, with eight joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and three moving to the NPP.
Asked why another BJP legislator was not accommodated, he said, “So, basically, we don’t have …well, if I had another five or six small cabinet ministers to induct and the constitutional provisions allowed me. Meanwhile, denying any pressure on Metbah Lyngdoh to resign, the Chief Minister said, “Not at all. Maintaining that Metbah’s resignation was entirely voluntary, Sangma said, “But coming to Metbah Lyngdoh’s decision to quit cabinet, it was purely his own decision; there was no Pressure from our side as such.
