BJP MLA from South Shillong constituency in Meghalaya, on Tuesday, was sworn-in as a State cabinet minister.
Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Palik administered the oath of office to Sanbor Shullai at Raj Bhawan in Shillong on Tuesday.
Shullai is likely to replace AL Hek, a BJP MLA, as the Health Minister of Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, AL Hek is likely to take over as the new president of the Meghalaya BJP, replacing Earnest Mawri.
Removal of Hek from the Cabinet came as a surprise to many, but according to sources, Hek needed to be replaced following a letter sent by Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie to CM Sangma, stating Shullai had an agreement with Hek to take over as Health minister two-and-half years after government formation in the State in 2018.
The sudden development came after Union Hone Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Meghalaya recently, where he 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.
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Meanwhile, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma welcomed Sanbor Shullai into the cabinet.
He said: “Sanbor Shullai took oath as a cabinet minister today. I welcome him and wish him all the best.”