SHILLONG : Deputy Chief Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) state president Prestone Tynsong on Friday denied reports of any understanding between the NPP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over cabinet induction, maintaining that no preconditions were set when the BJP joined the Meghalaya coalition government.

Tynsong was responding to questions about reports that the BJP was unhappy with the existing cabinet arrangement and wanted more of its MLAs to be inducted into the government.

Rejecting any suggestion of an agreement over ministerial berths, Tynsong said there had been no such discussion between the NPP and its coalition partners when the BJP joined the government.

“I am the state president. From the party’s point of view, I already told you also there was no such precondition at any point of time. When they joined, BJP, no such discussion we had with NPP or with any partners,” he said.

He further maintained that no conditions or preconditions regarding cabinet expansion had been agreed upon between the coalition partners.

“So, therefore, as of today, no such conditions, no such preconditions. Therefore, I am not aware at all about this,” Tynsong added.

His statement comes amid reports of differences over the BJP’s representation in the Meghalaya cabinet and its demand for a greater share of ministerial positions.