Shillong, Sept 23: Eight sitting legislators of the United Democratic Party (UDP) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday, taking the BJP’s strength in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly from two to 10.
The legislators were inducted into the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, BJP national spokesperson and Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra and other senior party leaders.
The eight MLAs are Lahkmen Rymbui, Kyrmen Shylla, Balajied Kupar Synrem, Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah, Pius Marwein, Mayralborn Syiem, Ollan Sing Suin and Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah.
Welcoming them, Rijiju said the legislators had decided to join the BJP after being impressed by what he described as the transformation of the Northeast under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA government.
“Wholeheartedly welcome all our friends, the elected eight members of assembly, MLAs of Meghalaya, into BJP family,” Rijiju said.
He said Modi’s engagement with the Northeast and the Centre’s focus on development had changed the region’s political landscape. Rijiju also contrasted the BJP’s approach with that of previous Congress governments, alleging that the Northeast had earlier been treated as politically insignificant because of its smaller representation in Parliament.
“Prime Minister Modi ji has not counted the numbers; Prime Minister Modi ji has embraced the Northeastern region closest to his heart,” Rijiju said, adding that Modi had visited the region more than 80 times as Prime Minister for development-related programmes and outreach, excluding election campaigns.
Rijiju said the induction of the eight legislators would strengthen the Conrad K. Sangma-led government and improve coordination among NDA partners in Meghalaya.
“From today, the government led by Conrad Sangma in Meghalaya, which is an NDA government, will be further strengthened because the numbers of BJP has risen,” he said, describing the development as a “defining moment” in Meghalaya’s political journey.
The switch reduces the UDP’s strength from 12 legislators to four and makes the BJP the second-largest party in the Assembly after Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma’s National People’s Party, which has 33 MLAs.
The eight legislators had been in talks with the BJP leadership over several Meghalaya-specific issues. These include the inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, issues related to coal mining, implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act and relocation of the Harijan Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.
Kyrmen Shylla had earlier said the group sought assurances from the BJP leadership on these issues before deciding to join the party.
