Shillong, Oct 31 (PTI) United Democratic Party president Metbah Lyngdoh resigned as a minister in the Meghalaya Cabinet on Saturday, days after 11 of the party’s 12 MLAs joined the BJP and the NPP, leaving him as the UDP’s sole legislator in the state Assembly.
Lyngdoh said that he had submitted his resignation letter to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma after assessing the prevailing political situation and recent developments within the party.
The development followed a series of defections that saw eight of the UDP MLAs merge with the BJP in September and three others with the NPP, the chief minister’s party, earlier this month. The Speaker recognised both mergers, reducing the UDP’s strength from 12 to one. Both BJP and UDP are constituents of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.
Lyngdoh said the UDP’s Central Executive Committee would deliberate on the developments and decide on the future course of action in consultation with party leaders and office-bearers.
Rejecting speculation that he was forced to resign, the UDP president maintained that the decision was voluntary.
He was in charge of the departments of power, textiles, water resources and taxation.
The political upheaval in the UDP came amid reported discontent within the party over leadership and organisational issues. The developments also followed a cabinet reshuffle in September 2025, when Metbah Lyngdoh and Lahkmen Rymbui replaced senior UDP leaders Paul Lyngdoh and Kyrmen Shylla as the party’s representatives in the state cabinet.
The eight legislators who joined the BJP were Lahkmen Rymbui, Kyrmen Shylla, Pius Marwein, Mayralborn Syiem, Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah, Ollan Singh Suin, Balajied Kupar Synrem and Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah.
The three who merged with the NPP were Paul Lyngdoh, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and Nujorki Sungoh.
The moves took the NPP’s strength in the 60-member Assembly to 36, while the BJP’s tally rose to 10.
The UDP had emerged as the second-largest party in the 2023 Meghalaya Assembly elections with 12 seats. PTI JOP NN
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