Meghalaya Speaker formally recognises merger of three UDP MLAs with NPP

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker has formally recognised the merger of three United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators with the National People’s Party (NPP), allowing them to sit in the Assembly as members of the NPP.

An order issued by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretariat on October 23 named the three MLAs as Paul Lyngdoh of West Shillong, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar of Mawkyrwat and Nujorki Sungoh of Mowkaiaw.

The merger was recognised under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India, which deals with mergers of political parties in the context of the anti-defection law.

The development comes after the merger of eight UDP legislators with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was recognised on October 16, reducing the UDP Legislature Party’s strength in the Assembly to four members.

On October 17, three of the remaining four UDP MLAs informed the Speaker of their decision to merge with the NPP. They stated that they constituted at least two-thirds of the UDP Legislature Party, meeting the numerical requirement under Paragraph 4(2) of the Tenth Schedule. Their communication also cited a resolution adopted by the original UDP on the same date to merge with the NPP.

The Speaker examined the communication and directed the legislators to verify its contents in person. According to the order, the three MLAs appeared before the Speaker on October 19 and reaffirmed their decision.

After being satisfied that the merger was voluntary, the Speaker accepted it through the order dated October 23 and directed that the three legislators be allotted seats as NPP members in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

The order was issued by Malthus Snal Sangma, Secretary of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.