Meghalaya: Three More UDP MLAs Likely to Join NPP, Ruling Party’s Strength May Rise to 36

UDP leader Paul Lyngdoh said the three legislators would join the party led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. If the move goes ahead, UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh would be left as the regional party’s sole representative in the Assembly.

The proposed defections follow the Meghalaya Assembly Speaker’s recognition of the merger of eight UDP legislators with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The decision was formally notified on October 16, reducing the UDP’s strength from 12 MLAs to four and increasing the BJP’s tally from two to 10.

The eight legislators who joined the BJP are Lahkmen Rymbui, Pius Marwein, Kyrmen Shylla, Mayralborn Syiem, Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah, Ollan Singh Suin, Balajied Kupar Synrem and Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah.

They joined the BJP at its headquarters in New Delhi on September 23 and subsequently informed the Assembly Secretariat of their merger with the party.

The Speaker recognised the merger under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with exemptions from disqualification in cases of qualifying mergers. The UDP had earlier initiated disciplinary proceedings against some of the legislators who switched parties.

If the three remaining MLAs join the NPP, the UDP’s legislative presence would be reduced to a single member, marking a significant setback for one of Meghalaya’s established regional parties.

The NPP, BJP and UDP are all constituents of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), headed by Sangma. The latest developments could alter the balance of representation within the coalition ahead of the next Assembly election, scheduled for early 2028.

Regional parties have traditionally played an important role in Meghalaya’s coalition politics. The recent shifts underline changing political alignments within the MDA, with the BJP expanding its Assembly presence and the NPP poised to strengthen its position further.