Shillong: Political loyalties in Meghalaya are shifting. Reports suggest nine of the 12 United Democratic Party legislators are eyeing a move to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The potential switch gained traction Saturday as UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh flew to New Delhi. He denied knowing about any such plans, stating, "I was unaware of any move by UDP legislators to join the BJP."
A senior party member confirmed that legislators plan to meet with top BJP brass on Sunday. The talks likely include Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president Nitin Nabin. If nine MLAs jump ship, they clear the two-thirds threshold required under anti-defection laws for a merger.
The UDP acts as the largest regional partner in the 51-member Meghalaya Democratic Alliance. While the NPP leads the 60-seat house with 33 MLAs, a massive UDP defection would strip the regional party of its influence. It also threatens to reset the balance of power between the NPP and BJP before the 2028 Assembly elections. Meanwhile, rumors persist that leaders from the Meghalaya Trinamool Congress are also making contact with the BJP. No formal agreements have emerged from any party yet.
Updated at 31st August 2026 at 10:00am
The revolt is no longer just chatter in Shillong. Nine MLAs are currently split between Guwahati and Kolkata, coordinating with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra. The group includes Paul Lyngdoh, Lahkmen Rymbui, Mayralborn Syiem, Ollan Sing Suin, and Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah in Guwahati, with Kyrmen Shylla, Synshar Kupar Lyngdoh Thabah, Pius Marwein, and Balajied Synrem stationed in Kolkata. Their final destination is Delhi to finalize terms with Amit Shah and Nitin Nabin.
Discontent has been boiling since the cabinet reshuffle last September. The breakaway bloc claims the NPP-led government sidelined them, making unilateral decisions in their constituencies and awarding contracts without their input. Sources indicate that a move to the BJP comes with specific demands: a larger slice of the ministry, including at least one deputy chief minister post and additional cabinet berths. The group views the alliance shift as a necessary show of force to stop being treated as a junior afterthought by the NPP.
UDP General Secretary Titosstarwell Chyne denies the split, claiming a majority of the party remains intact. Chyne insisted that no legislator has publicly declared a departure and dismissed reports of the president's travel to Delhi as false, stating that Metbah Lyngdoh returned home after a meeting in Khliehriat. Meanwhile, the Regional Democratic Alliance is also fraying, as the HSPDP grew frustrated with the UDP over naming V.G.K. Kynta as a candidate for the Shillong parliamentary by-election instead of D.R.L. Nonglait.
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