Shillong: United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Olan Sing Suin has dismissed concerns about internal division following the recent resignation of former vice-president Robertjune Kharjahrin. Suin emphasized that differing opinions are a standard part of political life and do not signal a structural fracture within the organization.
Kharjahrin stepped down from the party’s Central Executive Committee and surrendered his membership last week. In a letter to party president Metbah Lyngdoh and general secretary Titosstarwell Chyne, he voiced strong opposition to the party's decision to support National People’s Party candidate James P.K. Sangma in the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. He expressed that he was "disturbed by the decision of UDP legislators to support James Sangma without obtaining the mandate of the party’s Central Executive Committee."
Kharjahrin argued that this choice could harm the party's credibility and confuse the electorate. In response, Suin maintained that the UDP operates through consensus and that the support for Sangma was a collective decision made by the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) parliamentary party rather than a single entity. He clarified that Sangma is an MDA candidate.
As the party moves forward, Suin noted that leadership is focusing on grassroots outreach. The UDP plans to hold a series of meetings in the coming weeks to reinforce its organizational presence across constituency, district, and state levels.
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