Shillong, Oct 19: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is set to be reduced to a single MLA in Meghalaya with three of its four remaining legislators expected to join the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), on Monday.
UDP leader Paul Lyngdoh confirmed the proposed move on Sunday, saying he, Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton L. Tongkhar and Mookaiaw MLA Nujorki Sungoh would meet Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma at 4 pm on Monday to submit their merger petition.
If the move goes through, the NPP’s strength will rise from 33 to 36 MLAs, while the UDP will be left with only its president, Metbah Lyngdoh, who represents Mairang and serves as Power Minister in the Conrad Sangma-led government.
The three legislators constitute three-fourths of the UDP’s remaining legislative strength, exceeding the two-thirds threshold required under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution for a merger to be recognised.
The proposed shift comes days after the Assembly Speaker recognised the merger of eight UDP MLAs with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reducing the UDP’s strength from 12 to four and increasing the BJP’s tally from two to 10.
The eight legislators joined the BJP at its headquarters in New Delhi on September 23 and submitted a letter informing the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly of their merger two days later.
Speaker Thomas A. Sangma recognised the merger in an order dated October 16.
With three more legislators now poised to leave, the UDP faces the prospect of losing almost its entire legislative presence within weeks.
Once a significant regional force capable of influencing coalition arithmetic in Meghalaya’s fragmented political landscape, the party would be left with just one MLA.
Both the UDP and the BJP are constituents of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), which governs the state.
The latest realignment is expected to alter the balance among the coalition’s partners, with the NPP strengthening its position as the largest party in the Assembly.
The next Assembly election in Meghalaya is due in early 2028.
With inputs from PTI