Meghalaya UDP is facing a major political test after eight of its MLAs joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reducing the regional party’s strength to four legislators, according to reports on September 25.
West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh has now warned that the Meghalaya UDP could soon be left with only one MLA. He said he was consulting supporters before deciding his own political course, adding another layer of uncertainty to the party’s future.
Meghalaya UDP loses eight legislators
The political shift followed the decision of eight UDP legislators to join the BJP in New Delhi earlier this week. The move increased the BJP’s strength in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly from two to 10 MLAs.
The four legislators who remain with the Meghalaya UDP are party president Metbah Lyngdoh, Paul Lyngdoh, Renikton L Tongkhar and Nujorki Sungoh. Their continued association with the party has therefore become central to its immediate future. The episode has also exposed the depth of the organisational challenge facing the regional outfit.
However, the merger has not yet received a final ruling from the Assembly Speaker. The eight former UDP MLAs submitted documents to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on September 25, informing the House that they had merged with the BJP.
Speaker to examine merger documents
Assembly Adviser Andrew Simons said the documents would be examined under the relevant rules and constitutional provisions before Speaker Thomas A Sangma issues an order. The Speaker was away in Malta on a post-conference study tour when the papers were submitted.
The Assembly Secretariat also faces a specific question because four UDP MLAs remain outside the group that joined the BJP. Therefore, the legal and procedural status of the claimed merger remains subject to examination.
The development is significant because the eight legislators represent a large share of the UDP’s former Assembly strength. It also changes the balance among parties within the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.
Paul Lyngdoh warns of further exits
Paul Lyngdoh said the latest exodus did not surprise him. He argued that dissatisfaction had existed within the Meghalaya UDP for some time and that the party leadership had not adequately acknowledged those concerns.
Lyngdoh also pointed to the party’s decline in the Khasi-Jaintia region. He said the UDP had held 12 of the region’s 36 Assembly seats three years ago but now has four.
“Even among these four, there are signs that it could soon be reduced to just one,” Lyngdoh said, according to reports.
His statement remains a political assessment rather than a confirmed development. No additional departure from the four remaining UDP MLAs had been formally announced as of September 25.
Meghalaya UDP faces questions over next move
Lyngdoh has also faced speculation about whether he could join the BJP. He has not confirmed such a move. Instead, he said he was consulting supporters in the West Shillong constituency and seeking their views before taking a decision.
That consultation could become important if further legislators leave the Meghalaya UDP. For now, the party retains four MLAs, while the Speaker examines the documents submitted by the eight who have joined the BJP.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s larger Assembly strength could affect the wider political equation in Meghalaya. The party’s tally has risen from two to 10 following the induction of the eight former UDP legislators.
Party’s future remains uncertain
The Meghalaya UDP now faces questions about its organisation, leadership and ability to retain its remaining legislators. The latest developments also come less than two years before the next Meghalaya Assembly election, making the party’s current realignment politically significant.
Still, Lyngdoh’s forecast of a one-MLA UDP is not a settled outcome. It depends on whether any of the remaining legislators decide to leave and on the decisions that follow the ongoing Assembly process.
For the Meghalaya UDP, the immediate focus will remain on retaining its remaining legislators and responding to the political changes created by the eight-member shift. The Speaker’s examination of the merger documents will also clarify the Assembly status of the group in the days ahead.