Meghalaya Political Shift: Eight UDP MLAs’ Merger With BJP Gets Assembly Approval, BJP’s Strength Reaches 10

A Major Change in Meghalaya’s Assembly Arithmetic

A significant political development unfolded in Meghalaya after the State Legislative Assembly formally recognised the merger of eight members of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Legislature Party with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The decision was notified by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretariat on October 16, 2026, through Order No. LB.112/LA/2026/43. Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma recognised the merger under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Following the order, the BJP’s strength in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly increased from two members to 10, while the UDP’s strength declined from 12 to four.

What Exactly Happened?

The eight UDP legislators had communicated their decision to merge with the BJP to the Assembly Speaker. According to the Assembly Secretariat’s notification, a communication dated September 25, 2026, was submitted by the legislators along with a resolution recording their agreement to the merger.

The Speaker examined the matter and directed the legislators to verify the contents of their communication personally.

The eight MLAs appeared before the Speaker on October 13, 2026, at 2:30 PM in his office chamber. They verified the communication and resolution and reiterated their agreement to the merger.

After examining the submissions, the Speaker recognised the merger through the order dated October 16, 2026.

The Secretariat also directed that the necessary entries be made in the relevant Assembly records and that the eight legislators be recognised as members of the BJP Legislature Party.

Who Are the Eight MLAs?

The eight legislators covered by the Assembly's order are:

1. Lahkmen Rymbui – Amlarem

2. Pius Marwein – Ranikor

3. Kyrmen Shylla – Khliehriat

4. Mayralborn Syiem – Nongpoh

5. Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah – Mawphlang

6. Ollan Singh Suin – Mawsynram

7. Balajied Kupar Synrem – Shella

8. Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah – Sohiong

BJP’s Assembly Strength Rises to 10

The immediate impact of the Speaker’s October 16 decision was visible in the Assembly’s party-wise numbers.

Before the recognition, the BJP had two legislators in the Meghalaya Assembly, while the UDP had 12.

After the merger was recognised, the BJP’s strength increased to 10, and the UDP was left with four members.

The figures recorded in the order were:

• BJP: 2 to 10 members

• UDP: 12 to 4 members

This was a change in the composition of the two legislative parties. It did not, by itself, amount to a change in the state government.

At the time, both the BJP and UDP were constituents of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, led by the National People's Party (NPP).

Why Did the Tenth Schedule Matter?

The constitutional provision at the centre of the development was Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule, which deals with the merger exception under the anti-defection law.

Under Paragraph 4(2), a merger is deemed to have taken place for this purpose if not less than two-thirds of the members of the concerned legislature party agree to it.

In this case, eight of the UDP’s 12 legislators supported the merger. Eight members represented two-thirds of the party’s legislative strength.

What Happened to the UDP’s Disqualification Petition?

The Assembly Secretariat’s notification also recorded that petitions filed by UDP leader Metbah Lyngdoh seeking the disqualification of the eight legislators under Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule had been dismissed by the Speaker through an order dated October 16, 2026.

The recognition of the merger and the decision on the disqualification petitions were therefore part of the same set of Assembly proceedings.

The Speaker’s order was subsequently notified for the information of the members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

An Important Subsequent Development

There was another change after the October 16 order.

On October 23, 2026, the Meghalaya Assembly Secretariat published a separate order recognising the merger of three members of the remaining UDP Legislature Party with the National People's Party (NPP).

This was a separate development and should not be confused with the earlier merger of eight UDP legislators with the BJP.

What Happens Next?

The immediate constitutional and legislative effect of the October 16 order was the recognition of the eight legislators as members of the BJP Legislature Party.

The subsequent October 23 order demonstrated that the movement of legislators in Meghalaya continued beyond the initial merger.

Conclusion

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s October 16, 2026 recognition of the merger of eight UDP MLAs with the BJP marked an important change in the state's legislative arithmetic.

The BJP’s strength rose from two to 10 members, while the UDP’s strength fell from 12 to four under the order issued by the Assembly Secretariat.

The decision was taken under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule, with the Speaker recognising that the eight legislators met the required two-thirds threshold.