Eight UDP MLAs Defect to BJP, Reshaping Meghalaya's Political Map
Eight UDP legislators joined the BJP in New Delhi, lifting the party to second place in the Meghalaya Assembly ahead of the 2028 elections.
In a significant political realignment in Meghalaya, eight legislators of the United Democratic Party (UDP) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi on Wednesday. The move follows months of discussions between the legislators and the BJP leadership.
The eight MLAs are Lahkmen Rymbui (Amlarem), former minister Kyrmen Shylla (Khliehriat), Olan Singh Suin (Mawsynram), Mathew Beyondstar Kurbah (Mawphlang), Mayralborn Syiem (Nongpoh), Pius Marwein (Ranikor), Synshar Thabah (Sohiong) and Balajied Synrem (Shella).
Senior party leader and national spokesperson Sambit Patra addressed a press conference in New Delhi on the development, which came after weeks of political speculation over the legislators' future.
The defections follow the earlier entry of former MLA and UDP leader Dr Jemino Mawthoh into the BJP on September 12. Together with the eight legislators, the additions take the tally of recent arrivals to ten and make the BJP the second-largest party in the Meghalaya Assembly after the National People's Party (NPP).
The legislators had placed specific demands before the BJP leadership, including the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, the legal resumption of coal mining, and approval for amendments to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA).
The shift is expected to reshape the state's political arithmetic, with wider implications for the ruling alliance and the run-up to the 2028 Assembly elections.