Shillong, Sep 17: The United Democratic Party (UDP) will decide on possible disciplinary action against its MLAs who have been holding consultations with supporters in their constituencies amid reports of a possible move by eight of them to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), party general secretary and Sohra MDC Titosstarwell Chyne said today.
Speaking to reporters, Chyne said the party’s disciplinary committee or state parliamentary board would take a call on the matter.
Asked whether the party would consider suspending the MLAs or issuing show-cause notices, Chyne said the decision could not be taken by him alone.
On UDP working president and West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh’s questions over the party leadership, Chyne said if Lyngdoh was serious about the issue he should have raised them during party meetings. Instead, Chyne said that Lyngdoh only attended one meeting in the past year, which was the most recent central executive committee (CEC) meeting.
“So I don’t understand why he questions the leadership issue,” Chyne said.
Lyngdoh had earlier raised concerns about the party’s direction and the performance of its ministers following the cabinet reshuffle, according to reports. The reshuffle saw him removed from cabinet to make way for party president Metbah Lyngdoh.
Chyne maintained that the scheming MLAs remain members of the UDP and have not formally left the party.
To avoid the anti-defection law, the UDP MLAs cannot simply defect but two-thirds of the UDP’s legislative party must agree to merge with the BJP. That makes the magic number eight out of the party’s strength in the Assembly of 12.
Asked why the reported differences had emerged within the party, particularly with eight of its 12 MLAs allegedly considering a move to the BJP, Chyne said there were several reasons but declined to disclose them, though he denied that the developments were linked to the party leadership.
“As of now, as a party, we are intact. If an individual MLA joins the BJP, it’s not the party joining the BJP,” he said.
On whether the situation could be repaired, Chyne said the UDP had faced similar departures in the past but had continued to function as a party. “In the last few years also many MLAs left the party, but still as a party we remain and we will get more MLAs for the party,” he said.
