Shillong, September 30, 2025: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday defended his decision to formally end the tenure of four National People’s Party (NPP) cabinet ministers through what many described as “corporate-style letters.” Sangma clarified that the procedure was deliberate, transparent, and binding, insisting that all concerned ministers were duly informed in writing.
“On Friday, the 12th of September when the Assembly got over, in the evening at about eight o’clock I had dispatched letters to all the concerned ministers, especially from the National People’s Party because the other parties were had already decided and some were still working on their decision. And so minusing the other political parties and other coalition partners to the four cabinet ministers from the National People’s Party, the letter was sent and all of them had received the letter. And obviously, I expect that when they receive a letter from Chief Minister, they will go through it and they will see it. And they have confirmed that the letter was received. And so that is what the procedure was followed with everyone. And so the question of when not communicating and not informing does not rise. In the letter, it is much better because all the details were mentioned,” Sangma said, reiterating that the step adhered to due process.
The development, however, caught attention after sources revealed that on Friday evening, cabinet ministers were greeted not by a phone call or meeting, but by a messenger at their doorsteps carrying an official communication. The curt letters, devoid of verbal exchanges, were seen by many as corporate-styled dismissals.
Each letter acknowledged the ministers’ contributions but ended with a clear notification of their removal. “As a result of your commitment and hard work the department under you have transformed and made huge difference in the lives of the people,” the letter read, before delivering its blunt conclusion: “With the dynamics of the political scenario in our state, I will have to give opportunity for others also to work and serve as cabinet ministers, hence I am to inform you that you will not be continuing as a cabinet minister from the 15th of September 2025. But I look forward to working with you in the other capacities and shoulder other responsibilities as we work together to take our state forward.”
By opting for this method, Sangma signaled both his intent to reshuffle the government and his preference for official, documented communication over informal persuasion, underscoring the churn in Meghalaya’s political landscape.
In a twist that rattled political circles, former Agriculture Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh expressed shock and disappointment at her abrupt removal. She revealed that she only discovered the official letter two days after it had been delivered to her residence.
“I was a little surprised that such an important communication was simply sent without even alerting me,” Lyngdoh said, admitting that the letter initially went unnoticed as it was buried among other correspondence.
Lyngdoh, who was in Delhi at the time, said she had repeatedly sought clarity from Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on rumours of a reshuffle but was never told she would be excluded.
“If I had known, I would not have attended the Delhi meeting as an Agriculture Minister. On the second day, when I had to be present before the Union Agriculture Minister, the swearing-in of the new cabinet was already scheduled in Shillong,” she recalled.
Calling the process “casual” and “insulting” to her constituents, Lyngdoh added, “We are servants of the people. It is not necessary to hold a ministerial post to serve them, but the manner in which the reshuffle was handled is disappointing.”
