The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to bring in its legislator from South Shillong constituency, Sanbor Shullai as minister of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in place of current health minister AL Hek.
AL Hek is tipped to take over as the new president of the Meghalaya BJP.
Sources said Shullai, who was the Deputy Speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly, will be administered the oath of office by Governor Satya Pal Malik at the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday evening.
The removal of Hek from the Cabinet came as a surprise to many, but according to sources, chief minister Conrad K Sangma has to replace Hek following a letter sent by Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie stating Shullai had an agreement with Hek to share the minister’s post for two-and-half years.
In 2019, Shullai in fact agreed with Hek that he would not share the minister’s post and he would allow Hek to continue as minister till 2023.
However, the sudden development came after Union Hone Minister Amit Shah’s visit, who met the Meghalaya BJP delegation and discussed about the affairs of the party and how to strengthen it for the upcoming Assembly elections in Meghalaya in 2023.
Sources said the BJP high command wants Hek to take over as state party president, but the party has to go by its principle of ‘one man one post’ according to which Hek would not be able to continue both as minister and state BJP president.