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Rocked by an alleged corruption scam, Meghalaya Chief Minister E K Mawlong is all set to be replaced with party leaders mounting pressure on him to step down.
Party MLAs have accused Mawlong of 'underhand dealings' in leasing out the sprawling Meghalaya government guesthouse at Calcutta to a private firm - Asian Housing Construction Limited - for 90 years.
The decision has sparked off a revolt by legislators of the Meghalaya Parliamentary Forum (MPF) coalition government, who openly questioned the chief minister's authority to strike the deal with the private firm at a throwaway price.
Former Meghalaya chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Purno Agitok Sangma has arrived in the state capital Shillong to assist in the transition.
The coalition partners are meeting in the capital on Friday to discuss the issue of electing a new leader to replace Mawlong.
The ruling MPF has 41 legislators in the 60-member state assembly.
The United Democratic Party (UDP) is the single largest party in the coalition with 21 members, followed by the NCP with 16.
The coalition also includes three Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs as well as an independent member.
"The decision to lease out the Meghalaya House in Calcutta is seen as an act that is against the interest of the state. The terms and conditions of the lease agreement, including the amount agreed upon, has taken us by surprise," a BJP MLA told IANS.
Sangma had earlier this week met Mawlong and suggested that the deal be scrapped, as it was 'controversial'. The NCP is gearing up for Friday's meeting that could well pave the way for a new leader in Meghalaya.
Sangma also met state Governor M M Jacob before discussing the deal with legal experts. The NCP also sent a copy of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to a Supreme Court lawyer in Bombay for his comments.
Former Meghalaya law minister G S Massar is heading a committee examining the agreement.
According to reports in the local press, lawyer Arun K Tripathy has said the lease agreement was not only 'one-sided' but was also 'illegal'.
The beleaguered state government has asked Chief Secretary J P Singh and general administration department secretary A Som to study the lease deal afresh and come up with their comments.
The state cabinet was likely to meet on November 9 to discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, several pressure groups, including the influential Khasi Students' Union (KSU), have taken to the streets to protest the controversial deal.
"On paper, the deal was struck at a very low rate but we have information that Mawlong had entered into some secret understanding with the company to amass a huge amount of money," a KSU leader said.
Undeterred by the swift political developments, Mawlong has maintained a stony silence on the issue but said he would not quit.
Indo-Asian News Service
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