Full Breakdown
Eight UDP Legislators Switch to BJP, Making It Meghalaya’s Second-Largest Party
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Core Realignment
Eight members of the United Democratic Party (UDP) formally entered the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi on Wednesday. The legislators—Lahkmen Rymbui, Kyrmen Shylla, Olan Singh Suin, Mathew Beyondstar Kurbah, Mayralborn Syiem, Pius Marwein, Synshar Thabah and Balajied Synrem—joined the saffron party in the presence of senior BJP leaders. Their accession raises the BJP’s tally in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to ten MLAs, positioning it as the second-largest party after the National People’s Party (NPP).
Background and Political Context
The move follows weeks of speculation and “sustained talks” between the UDP legislators and BJP leadership, according to reports. Earlier, former UDP MLA Dr Jemino Mawthoh had switched to the BJP on September 12, a step that foreshadowed the larger shift. The eight MLAs reportedly presented demands to the BJP, including the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, the legal resumption of coal mining, and approval of amendments to the Meghalaya Regional Scheme for Sustainable Agriculture (MRSSA). Analysts note that the realignment could reshape the state’s political arithmetic ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
Key Figures
- Kiren Rijiju – Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, senior BJP leader who welcomed the newcomers.
- Sambit Patra – BJP national spokesperson and coordinator for the party’s northeastern strategy.
- Dr Jemino Mawthoh – Former UDP MLA who joined the BJP on September 12.
Official Statements & Responses
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra noted that the party had been “in talks with them” before the formal induction.
Verbatim Quotes
- “All of these eight MLAs were extremely impressed and influenced by Prime Minister Modi and our BJP-led NDA government's performance. They decided to join the BJP,” — Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs “All of these eight MLAs were extremely impressed and influenced by Prime Minister Modi and our BJP-led NDA government's performance. They decided to join the BJP,” — Kiren Rijiju, including union minister
- “We were in talks with them,” — Sambit Patra, BJP national spokesperson “We were in talks with them,” — Sambit Patra