Shillong: The BJP is aggressively expanding its political reach in Meghalaya, targeting sitting legislators from the National People’s Party, the Trinamool Congress, and the United Democratic Party. Senior BJP MLA AL Hek confirmed the party is in active talks with leaders across all 12 districts of the state. Hek met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Friday to plot the party’s strategy for the 2028 Assembly elections. While Hek declined to name individuals, he confirmed discussions with eight UDP MLAs are underway. When asked when those legislators might jump ship, he said, “The days are not far.”
The move comes as the UDP faces internal fractures. Following a Central Executive Committee meeting on Friday, multiple party functionaries in Sohiong, including youth wing members, resigned from the organization. These grassroots exits arrive alongside persistent rumors that eight of the UDP’s 12 MLAs are weighing a move to the BJP. The UDP currently faces significant pressure as it prepares for the Shillong Lok Sabha by-election.
Former UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh, who recently joined the BJP, defended UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh, stating it is unfair to blame him for the current turmoil. Mawthoh noted he spent 15 months evaluating his own path before choosing the BJP to contribute to the state’s development. During his induction ceremony on Saturday, the BJP broke from tradition, opening the event with a Christian gospel song and a prayer led by state spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang. State president Rikman Momin administered the party pledge to Mawthoh.
This shift reflects the BJP’s ongoing attempt to shed its hardline image in the Christian-majority state. The party has long adapted its national platform to fit regional realities, including taking a hands-off approach to beef consumption and promising tribal exemptions within the proposed Uniform Civil Code. With only two seats in the current assembly, the BJP is betting that recruiting regional figures like Mawthoh will help it build the necessary network to challenge for power by 2028.
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