Shillong, October 13: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma on Tuesday said the merger of eight United Democratic Party (UDP) MLAs with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was still under examination, adding that he was awaiting legal opinions before deciding on their status.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the legislators, Sangma said the matter required careful scrutiny and that a decision would take time.
The eight MLAs joined the BJP in New Delhi on September 23 and submitted a letter to the Assembly two days later, formally informing the Speaker of their decision to merge with the party. Both the UDP and the BJP are constituents of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, led by the National People’s Party (NPP).
“I will not say that they are BJP MLAs because the merger is still under consideration. I am examining it and waiting for the legal opinion,” Sangma said, adding that he was consulting different sources before reaching a decision.
The Speaker also disclosed that the UDP had filed a petition seeking the disqualification of the eight legislators. However, he said the petition contained certain omissions and lacked clarity.
The party has been given 10 days to rectify the deficiencies and resubmit the petition, with the deadline set to expire on Wednesday.
“There were some omissions, and the submission was not very clear. I have asked them to review it and submit it back to me,” Sangma said.
Rejecting allegations that he was deliberately delaying the proceedings, the Speaker said he needed sufficient time to ensure that his decision was legally sound.
“I am not delaying it on purpose. I am taking my time and examining it so that I can be sure and make a clear decision,” he said.
Following the legislators’ move, the BJP’s strength in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly rose from two to 10, while the UDP’s tally fell from 12 to four. The BJP currently holds one Cabinet berth in the state government.