Megalaya Chief Minister Mr.Lapang resigned from his post unable to prove his majority in the floor of the assembly as directed by the Governor of Megalaya, Mr.S.S.Sidhu.
In the recently held assembly election for the Megalaya assembly,Congress I managed to win 25 seats and it became the single largest party in the Megalaya assembly.When Lapang staked his claim to form a ministry as the single largest party, the Governor gave him a chance and invited him to form the ministry with the condition that he should prove his majority in ten days on the floor of the assembly. Mr.Sidhu invited Lapang to form the ministry under controversial circumstances, on the principle that Mr.Lapang happened to be the leader of the single largest party.
But Mr.Lapang who could muster only a strength of 28 assembly members (out of the 30 needed), had no other choice but to resign today.
The Megalaya Governor was criticised and even a writ was filed in the Supreme Court of India by the opposition group headed by Mr.Sangma, son of P.A.Sangma. When the eminent lawyer, Mr.Soli Sorabjee, pressed his case in the Supreme Court that Mr.Lapang had been given a long rope to prove his majority, the Supreme Court asked Mr.Soli Sorabjee to wait ten days.
The act of the Governor to invite Mr.Lapang to form a ministry was wrong and a clear partisan move since Mr.Sangma had gathered the 31 member support he needed when the Governor invited Mr.Lapang to form the ministry.
Mr.Sangma’s stand was vindicated and as remarked by the Supreme Court, the members who supported him remained honest throughout, vindicating justice. Sometimes, it pays to be honest and a man of integrity.
Now the Megalaya Governor has no other go but to invite Mr.Sangma to form a ministry.