Shillong, Oct 22: The sole remaining United Democratic Party (UDP) MLA, Metbah Lyngdoh, who is also president of the party, today broke his silence on the twin mass defections from his party.
Addressing reporters, Lyngdoh, who is a cabinet minister, said that he was surprised at the sudden turn of events in the UDP, which had seen eight MLAs join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and then another three leave for the National People’s Party (NPP).
Lyngdoh said that the legislators should not have deserted the party since the people had elected them while running on UDP tickets in 2023.
He said that the reasons for the 11 leaving the UDP for other parties will be known only by them, even as he stated that as per media reports they have not cited anything personal against him.
Under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, legislators cannot technically defect to another party. Instead, two-thirds of them in a legislative body can “merge” the party with another. This is how eight of 12 MLAs joined the BJP, with three of the remaining four then quitting for the NPP.
Other than the technical merging, the UDP remains as a functioning political party, Lyngdoh maintained, with office bearers and units still operating. Apart from him, there are also three UDP MDCs in the KHADC and another three in the JHADC. The 10th Schedule does not apply to the district councils, however.
Lyngdoh said that despite the defections, the UDP is not sitting idly by but is working hard to strengthen itself. He assured that the party will still contest the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election; it has chosen advocate Vivanstone G Kynta as its candidate. Beyond this, the party is preparing for the 2028 Assembly polls with renewed vigour.
