Shillong, Jan. 31: There are now four “chief ministers” in the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance coalition government after senior Congress legislator and PCC chief Friday Lyngdoh’s elevation to the status and rank of chief minister following a notification on Thursday.

Soon after the formation of a coalition in May, J.D. Rymbai and Donkupar Roy, former chief ministers of the United Democratic Party were also accorded the status and rank of chief minister.

Rymbai is the chairman of the Meghalaya Economic Development Council. Roy is the chairman of the state planning board. Lyngdoh said he was happy after being accorded the status of chief minister. Lyngdoh, who is also the political adviser to chief minister D.D. Lapang, was earlier holding the rank and status of a deputy chief minister. Like Rymbai and Roy, Lyngdoh will enjoy all the facilities of a chief minister, including security matters, but cannot attend cabinet meetings as they are not ministers.

While the Opposition termed the decision as appeasement of senior Congress members who were not accommodated in the ministry, the Congress said it was not new in Meghalaya. Opposition leader Conrad Sangma today told this correspondent that the move was prompted by the pressure on the chief minister because of problems within the Congress.