Shillong: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma holds the fate of eight former United Democratic Party legislators in his hands. These members joined the BJP on September 23. The move pushed the BJP from two seats to 10 in the 60-member Assembly. It also dropped the UDP headcount from 12 down to four. Legal scrutiny continues.
The UDP wants these members gone. State Parliamentary Board secretary Allantry Dkhar filed a disqualification petition against all eight on the same day they defected. Two days later, the group submitted a formal merger letter. Assembly Adviser Legislation Andrew Simons accepted the paperwork while the Speaker traveled in Malta. Seven of the MLAs attended the filing, while documents for Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem were included. BJP state president Rikman G. Momin and MLA Sanbor Shullai accompanied the group. The Speaker has no timeline for a final decision.
“I’m seeking some legal counsel and all,” Sangma told The Shillong Times. He must verify if the merger meets the two-thirds threshold required by the Tenth Schedule. This situation echoes a 2021 case. Twelve Congress MLAs jumped to the Trinamool Congress. Then-Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh accepted that merger and cleared the members, forcing the Congress to lose its standing. However, this case relies on its own facts.
The UDP is reeling. It had already suspended Kyrmen Shylla, Olan Sing Suin, and Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah for ignoring show-cause notices. West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh previously hammered the party for its leadership and the failure of its regional alliances. The defectors claim they left to secure progress on the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule, the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, mining issues, and the relocation of Dalit Sikhs. The party must now prove it can still lead while fighting to keep its remaining seats.
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