Shillong, Sep 23: It takes a fair amount of skill and secrecy to pull off a surprise act when everyone knows that the switcheroo is coming but that is exactly what the wily Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did today as it brought eight rebel United Democratic Party (UDP) MLAs into its fold.
The defections (or strictly speaking the merger) were telegraphed well in advance. Everyone knew that it was coming, it was only a matter of when. Here the BJP pulled off a couple of neat tricks.
Senior party leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s expected visit to Meghalaya tomorrow was delayed until October 1. He was expected to formally welcome the turncoats to the BJP, so his postponement made it seem that the defections would also be pushed. Instead, the eight were spirited away to New Delhi to join the saffron fold today.
The eight MLAs are Amlarem MLA and cabinet minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Shella MLA Balajiedkupar Synrem, Mawsynram MLA Ollan Sing Suiñ, Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, Khliehriat MLA Kyrmen Shylla, Sohiong MLA Synshar Lyngdoh Thabah, Ranikor MLA Pius Marwein and Mawphlang MLA Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah.
The UDP, which emerged as the second largest party after the 2023 polls with 12 legislators, has thus been reduced to just four – party president and Mairang MLA Metbah Lyngdoh, working president and West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh, Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and Mowkaiaw MLA Nujorki Sungoh.
The leavers were welcomed by BJP leaders including Union minister Kiren Rijiju, party officials Sambit Patra and Rikman G Momin and others.
With the merger of these MLAs, the BJP’s strength in the Meghalaya Assembly has jumped to 10. The party had won only two seats in 2023, that of South Shillong MLA and cabinet minister Sanbor Shullai and Pynthorumkhrah MLA Alexander Laloo Hek.
Speaking at the joining ceremony, Rymbui gave reasons for joining the saffron party. He said the decision was driven by four key demands of Meghalaya – inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, amendment to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) to check influx, easing of coal mining rules and relocation of the Harijan Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.
He said support of the BJP-led government at the Centre is needed on these issues and BJP leaders have given encouraging responses. “This is not something that happened suddenly. Discussions have been going on for some time,” Rymbui said.
Rijiju said their decision was influenced by development initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the North East.
Now, speculation will shift to how many cabinet berths the BJP will get. As the second-largest party in the Assembly and second in the ruling alliance, it will expect an increase to Shullai’s seat on the cabinet plus that of Rymbai that it currently holds.
In all likelihood, UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh, who has been severely damaged by his failure to keep his party together, will be axed from cabinet. There is also speculation that the Hill State People’s Democratic Party’s (HSPDP’s) Methodius Dkhar may also be dropped to accommodate the turncoats.
3 defectors suspended by UDP
The United Democratic Party (UDP) has suspended three of its former MLAs who had in the morning joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after they did not respond to a show-cause notice served to them.
The three are Mawsynram MLA Ollan Singh Suin, Khliehriat MLA Kyrmen Shylla and Mawphlang MLA Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah.
UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh informed that these three MLAs had publicly announced their joining the BJP in the days ahead of Wednesday’s merger.
“We have given them time till today to appear in person before the state parliamentary board of the party or they may send if they wish in writing to the board,” Lyngdoh told reporters after an emergent meeting of the party in its office.
He informed that none of the three responded to the show-cause notice served by the UDP, therefore they have been placed under suspension until further orders.
If the UDP is planning on using the suspensions to question the legality of the three MLAs joining the BJP, this may be a false hope. Lyngdoh, who was Speaker of the Assembly between 2018 and 2023, presided over protests by the Congress Party when its MLAs defected during that period and no action was taken. Similarly, the current Speaker, Thomas A Sangma of the National People’s Party (NPP) would be unlikely to rule in favour of the UDP.
