Former UDP leader Jemino Mawthoh to join BJP in Shillong on September 12
Former UDP leader Jemino Mawthoh has said he will join the BJP with his supporters on 12 September. The move comes amid speculation over more defections from the UDP before the 2028 Meghalaya Assembly polls.
Jemino Mawthoh
- Sep 06, 2026,
- Updated Sep 06, 2026, 12:44 PM IST
- Mawthoh resigned from the UDP in May after years in leadership
- He had served as the party's vice-president and general secretary
- The decision followed a meeting with his supporters held on Saturday
Former Meghalaya MLA and senior United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Jemino Mawthoh has announced that he will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his supporters on September 12.
Mawthoh, who resigned from the UDP in May after serving as the party’s vice-president and general secretary for several years, said the decision followed a meeting with his supporters on Saturday.
He said the BJP had approached him on several occasions in the past, with discussions dating back to 2020-21, but he had chosen not to make a hurried political move.
“I was approached by the BJP earlier as well. In fact, feelers were coming since 2020-21, but I did not want to rush as a political decision should be very conscious,” Mawthoh said.
He is scheduled to formally join the BJP at the party’s state office in Shillong on September 12.
Mawthoh’s move comes at a time of growing political speculation in Meghalaya, with reports suggesting that nine of the UDP’s 12 MLAs could switch to the BJP ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
The former MLA’s decision is expected to add to the uncertainty surrounding the UDP’s political future as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the next state polls.
