Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday sacked former Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang as state party president and replaced him with Cabinet minister Celestine Lyngdoh, IANS reported. The Congress president’s move came a day after five party MLAs resigned from the Meghalaya Assembly to join the National People’s Party, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Vincent H Pala, a Lok Sabha MP from Shillong, has been appointed the working president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee. DD Lapang was made the committee’s advisor. Lyngdoh, meanwhile, was also given charge of the Congress’ 13-member Meghalaya Pradesh Election Committee for the upcoming polls.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Vincent H Pala, James S Lyngdoh, DD Lapang, Debora C Marak, MM Danggo, RC Laloo, Kennedy C Khyriem, Cherak W Momin, Charles Pyngrope, RV Lyngdoh are the other members of the committee, IANS said.