Bouyed by the prospect of the Congress-led UPA returning to power at the Centre, Chief Minister D D Lapang on Saturday expanded his Cabinet by inducting five more ministers.

Among those inducted by Lapang in his Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) coalition Government are Assembly Speaker and United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Bindo M Lanong, three disqualified legislators — Khun Hynnietrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) president Paul Lyngdoh, Independent legislators Limison D Sangma and Ismail R Marak — and Congress legislator Prestone Tyngsong.

Meghalaya Governor R S Mooshahary administered the oath of office and secrecy to the five ministers at a simple function at the Raj Bhavan. The Shillong bench of the Gauhati High Court has already stayed an order of disqualification against the four legislators.

Lanong resigned as Assembly Speaker on Friday night so that he could be sworn in as deputy chief minister. Under the agreement between the UDP and Congress, Lanong was offered the post of deputy chief minister as the Congress wanted its own legislator as Speaker.

The Congress-led MUA Government was sworn in on May 13 and Lapang along with six other Congress, UDP legislators and an Independent were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Mooshahary.

After the NCP was dumped by the Congress in Meghalaya, NCP leader P A Sangma was awaiting the result of the Lok Sabha polls. Sangma had hoped that if the NDA came to power then the political equation in Meghalaya would change, giving the NCP a chance to come to power. Even Lapang had waited for the Lok Sabha results and it was after chances of the Congress-led UPA forming a Government appeared certain that he expanded his ministry.