Guwahati: A day after taking over as the 16th Chief Minister of Meghalaya, J.D. Rymbai is in New Delhi to discuss Cabinet expansion with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Earlier on Friday, Speaker Martin M. Danggo adjourned the Assembly session till June 23 to allow Mr. Rymbai to expand his Ministry. The Chief Minister and other members were present when the session began in the morning.

On Thursday, Mr. Rymbai (72) replaced D.D. Lapang as Chief Minister, ending an 11-day political crisis, which witnessed revolt by Congress legislators against the latter.

On his election as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Mr. Rymbai was sworn in by the acting Governor S.S. Sidhu, who later administered the oath of office and secrecy to two Cabinet Ministers — United Democratic Party (UDP) president Don Kuper Roy and Martle Mukihm of the Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP). Besides the UDP and the MDP, the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the Khun Hyentrip National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) are allies of the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA). The Congress has 29 legislators, the UDP eight, the MDP four, the HSPDP two and the KHNAM one.

Mr. Rymbai told reporters that he would like to retain Dr. Roy as Deputy Chief Minister and Mr. Lapang would be rehabilitated in a position equivalent to Chief Minister.

CLP meeting

Thursday's CLP meeting, attended by 27 Congress legislators, lasted 30 minutes. It was attended by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, AICC observers Oscar Fernandes and Major (retd.) Ved Prakash and PCC president O.L. Nongtdu. Two Congress legislators, Mukul Sangma and his brother Zenith Sangma, could not attend because of the death of their mother.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr. Lapang returned from New Delhi along with AICC leaders and met his Cabinet colleagues at his residence where he announced his decision to quit.

After the CLP meeting, Mr. Mukherjee told reporters that Mr. Lapang had expressed a desire to step down during a meeting with Ms. Gandhi.

"I communicated to the CLP members Ms. Gandhi's decision to accept the resignation of Mr. Lapang. The CLP has unanimously elected Mr. Rymbai new leader," Mr. Mukherjee said.

The crisis in the State began on June 5 when 20 of the Congress legislators boycotted a CLP meeting convened by Mr. Lapang.

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