Mukul Sangma, 43, a practising physician, will head the fourth government in two years in the state.
Mukul Sangma was elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Meghalaya tonight and will be sworn in as chief minister tomorrow after DD Lapang was forced out of the job by dissidents.
Twenty-five of the 28 Congress MLAs in the state were present at the CLP meeting here this evening where Sangma was chosen leader.
The meeting took place after Lapang, 76, submitted his resignation to governor RS Mooshahary.
Lapang drove straight to Raj Bhavan after arriving from New Delhi.
"I have stepped down gracefully and willingly," he said. "The majority is with Mukul Sangma. I respect the sentiments of the MLAs."
Lapang had taken charge in May last year after dislodging an NCP-led coalition government.
It was he who proposed the name of trusted aide Sangma, 43, at the CLP meeting. The proposal was seconded by senior MLAs RC Laloo and Rowel Lyngdoh.
Luisinho Faleiro, Congress secretary in charge of Meghalaya, and senior leader Oscar Fernandes, who arrived here as observers, attended the meeting.
The central observers expressed the hope that Sangma would be able to provide a stable government to Meghalaya.
Sangma, a practising physician, said the formation of the new government would be done in consultation with the Congress leadership.
He said he had received letters of support from the alliance partners of the Congress — the United Democratic Party, the HSPDP, and independents.
Earlier, 21 legislators had pledged unconditional support to Sangma, who will head the fourth government in two years in the state.
Lapang quit in the face of a revolt against his leadership by legislators demanding his ouster and berths in the ministry.
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