Shillong, Aug. 3: In a major political development, Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma today decided to reshuffle his council of ministers for the second time in a year and just seven months prior to Assembly polls.

Sangma has removed senior Congress ministers Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, thought to be among a few legislators who might join another political party ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls, from the cabinet.

In place of Tynsong and Dhar, Mukul picked two-time Congress legislator and parliamentary secretary (mining and geology), Comingone Ymbon and first-time Congress MLA and parliamentary secretary (agriculture), Celestine Lyngdoh.

While Ymbon represents Raliang constituency in Jaiñtia Hills, Lyngdoh won on a Congress ticket for the first time from Umsning in Ri-Bhoi district in 2013.

The removal of both Tynsong and Dhar, though viewed as removing "thorns from the chief minister's flesh" may not, however, impact them or benefit the two new entrants.

The swearing-in of the two new faces will take place at Raj Bhavan tomorrow at 10.30am. Assam governor Banwarilal Purohit, who holds charge of Meghalaya, will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Ymbon and Lyngdoh.

For the past few days, there has been speculation that Sangma was going for a cabinet rejig where he would drop Tynsong and Dhar from his Meghalaya United Alliance (II) government.

But till last evening, after a cabinet meeting where both MLAs were present, Sangma was tightlipped on the reshuffle.

Tynsong and Dhar have been in Sangma's team since 2013. While Tynsong has been the minister in charge of PHE and other departments, Dhar has been holding the charge of community and rural development, power and other departments. Both have been serving as parliamentary secretaries in the government.

The reshuffle comes a few days after Sangma and Meghalaya PCC chief D.D. Lapang met the Congress leadership in New Delhi.

This is the second time that Tynsong has been removed from the cabinet. The first was in June 2011, following a move by a section of Congress legislators to topple his government.

Earlier, the PCC had set up a committee to go into allegations levelled against Dhar for "anti-party activities". It was alleged that Dhar was attempting to garner a party ticket for his brother-in-law, Wailad Shylla, from the Jowai Assembly seat in spite of a senior Congress leader and deputy chief minister (Roytre C. Laloo) being the current representative.

The last time that Sangma reshuffled his cabinet ever since the Congress came back to power in 2013 was on August 25 last year.

Reacting to his removal from the cabinet, Tynsong, who said Mukul conveyed the development to him over phone, called it a "prerogative of the chief minister".

"It is a fact that I, along with my colleague (Dhar) would be out of the cabinet to pave way for our friends," he added.

Tynsong had a long conversation with Dhar in his chamber in the main secretariat here, but he did not divulge what transpired between them.

Asked if their removal from the cabinet was because of "anti-party activities" as well as an indication that they would leave the Congress and join another party, Tynsong said, "As of now I am a Congress MLA."

Dhar, on the other hand, said the chief minister had not talked to him about the development. But he, too, added that it was the "prerogative of the chief minister".

"I have nothing to say, it is the chief minister's prerogative and we have to give chance to our other colleagues," he said.

Earlier, reports suggested that Tynsong, along with Dhar, would leave the Congress and were likely to join the National People's Party led by Lok Sabha MP from Tura, Conrad K. Sangma.

While Tynsong has been viewed as a "troublemaker" in the party, Dhar faced a complaint from the Jowai block Congress committee, accusing him of working against Laloo.