Guwahati, March 1: Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang dropped home minister Jarbom Gamlin from his council of ministers and inducted three new faces today in a cabinet reshuffle that raised the strength of the Congress government in the state from 10 to 12.

The newly-inducted ministers are Lombo Tayeng, Tako Dabi and Kalikho Pul. Governor S.K. Singh administered the oath of office to the three. Their portfolios will be announced later.

The development comes close on the heels of a memorandum submitted by a group of 20 Congress legislators to party president Sonia Gandhi, demanding her intervention to ensure that all sections of society get proper representation in the ministry.

The memorandum suggested that legislators be inducted in the ministry on a rotational basis as the strength of the ministry could not exceed 12.

The plea was signed by 17 of the party?s 34 legislators. The group had also placed the same demand before Apang.

Arunachal Pradesh, with its 60-member Legislative Assembly, can only have a 12-member ministry. Apang had constituted his 10-member Congress ministry in October 2004.

?When we have been elected by our people, they want us to be in the government so that we can work for their welfare. We have some responsibility towards them, so it will be better if all ruling party legislators are inducted in the ministry by turns,? said a Congress legislator on condition of anonymity.

PCC chief Mukut Mithi said the group of legislators had also given him the copy of the memorandum they submitted to Sonia Gandhi.

?Though it is the chief minister?s prerogative to decide who will get inducted into the ministry, in a pluralist society like ours, it is always better to give representation to all communities in the ministry,? Mithi said.

Twelve Independent legislators and two legislators each of the Arunachal Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party are also extending support to the Apang government.

Apang did not cite any reason for ousting Gamlin.

Gamlin, a former Lok Sabha MP, was present at the swearing-in ceremony. A few months ago there were reports that he was trying to replace Apang as chief minister. However, Gamlin had dismissed the reports as a rumour.

While Pul and Tayeng are known to be close to Apang, Dabi is said to be loyal to Mithi, adds PTI.