Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: Eight lawmakers from Meghalaya's United Democratic Party defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday. The switch occurred at the party headquarters in New Delhi. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra announced the move during a press conference attended by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The group includes Lahkmen Rymbui, Kyrmen Shylla, Balajied Synrem, Synshar Roy Kupar Lyngdoh, Olan Singh Suin, Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah, Mayralborn Syiem, and Pius Marwein. These eight legislators previously comprised the majority of the UDP's 12 seats in the 60-member assembly. The BJP now holds 10 seats in the house.
The lawmakers had conditioned their move on specific central demands. These included relocating the Harijan Colony in Shillong, amending coal-mining rules, implementing the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, and adding the Khasi language to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Senior BJP leader Alexander Laloo Hek confirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the entry of the legislators before the induction.
Rijiju praised the shift as a major change for the region. "All the eight MLAs, popular MLAs from Meghalaya, are joining the BJP family today. It is an extremely important political development not only for the Northeast, but for the country," Rijiju said. He credited the decision to the development record of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the past 12 years.
This political shakeup arrives well before the 2028 Meghalaya Assembly elections. Earlier this month, former UDP member Jemino Mawthoh also joined the BJP following his resignation in May. The UDP remains a partner in the current ruling coalition led by the National People's Party.
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