Meghalaya Speaker Recognises 3 UDP MLAs' Merger With Conrad Sangma's Party

The United Democratic Party (UDP), which emerged as the single-largest political party in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region of Meghalaya after the 2023 Assembly elections, has now collapsed like a house of cards, with party president Metbah Lyngdoh left as its lone MLA. The political rout gathered further momentum on Friday after Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma formally recognised the merger of three more UDP legislators with the ruling National People's Party (NPP), taking the NPP's strength to 36.

The three MLAs - Paul Lyngdoh of West Shillong, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar of Mawkyrwat and Nujorki Sungoh of Mowkaiaw - will now occupy seats in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly as NPP members, following the Speaker's order issued on October 23.

The latest recognition comes days after the Speaker accepted the merger of eight UDP MLAs with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on October 16. Together, the two developments have reduced the UDP Legislature Party from 12 MLAs to just one, dealing a major blow to the regional party's political standing.

The three legislators had submitted their merger communication to the Speaker on October 17, stating that they represented at least two-thirds of the UDP Legislature Party and that the original political party had resolved to merge with the NPP. After examining the communication and verifying the members' decision, the Speaker recognised the merger under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution.