Shillong: Something is moving in Shillong. While no one will go on the record, political maneuvers between the BJP and the UDP suggest a quiet power shift is underway. Former Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma warns that the BJP follows a specific playbook: weaken and absorb regional forces to build a national base. He sees the cracks forming. "There is lack of cohesiveness in the alliance. That is why all this is coming out in the open," Sangma said on Wednesday.
UDP leader Lahkmen Rymbui admits a shift is possible, calling it a probability rather than mere speculation. Reports indicate UDP legislators met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah under the guise of discussing FCRA issues. BJP insiders confirmed these talks occurred but labeled them as being in a nascent stage. They suggested any major move might wait until the end of next year, just ahead of the next cycle of elections.
The NPP-led MDA-II government holds 33 seats in the 60-member Assembly. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma remains in control for now. However, the UDP holds 12 seats, and a defection would hit the Khasi-Jaintia Hills hard. Dissent inside the UDP has simmered since last year when the party reshuffled its Cabinet, replacing Paul Lyngdoh and Kyrmen Shylla with Metbah Lyngdoh and Lahkmen Rymbui. The UDP claims its ranks remain firm.
The BJP maintains a studied silence in Delhi. In Meghalaya, the party looks toward the 2028 Assembly elections with clear goals of expansion. Mukul Sangma remains cautious about the trend. He views the potential poaching of representatives as a threat to democracy, noting that the BJP’s record in states like Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Delhi provides a blueprint for regional parties to fear. For now, the NPP claims the government is safe, while the BJP waits and watches.
Updated at 3rd September 2026 at 10:16am
The political intrigue goes beyond the UDP. Mukul Sangma revealed that the BJP has made direct efforts to lure Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmakers into its fold. Despite these overtures, Sangma insisted his party members remain committed to their duties as the Opposition.
Sangma addressed the rumors of a TMC merger with the BJP, confirming that while the saffron party made an effort to approach them, the party stood firm. He maintained that shifting allegiances or merging parties should rely on a clear, public interest rationale rather than serving as a makeshift arrangement to grab power.
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