Shillong: BJP has increased its strength in the 60-member Meghalaya assembly from two to 10 MLAs after eight United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators joined the party in New Delhi on Wednesday, making it the second-largest party after the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).Chief minister Conrad K Sangma said the development would not affect the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) govt, of which BJP is a constituent.BJP previously had two elected MLAs — AL Hek and Sanbor Shullai — both from Shillong urban constituencies and both having served as ministers at different times. UDP, which until Tuesday was the second-largest party in the coalition with 12 MLAs, has now been reduced to four. NPP has 32 MLAs, with Sangma serving as the party’s national president.State education minister Lakhmen Rymbui, one of the MLAs who joined BJP, said the shift was in the state’s interest as the party in power at the Centre had assured them of meeting key demands. The issues cited include constitutional recognition of Khasi and Garo languages, amendment to Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, simplification of the coal mining process, and resolution of the Meghalaya-Assam boundary dispute.The other UDP MLAs who joined BJP were Kyrmen Shylla, Mayralborn Syiem, Pius Marwein, Balajiedkupar Synrem, Ollan Sing Suiñ, Synshar Lyngdoh Thabah, and Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah.They were inducted in the presence of Union minister Kiren Rijiju, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, state BJP president Rikman Momin, and senior party leaders.Sangma said the coalition’s numbers remain unchanged as the shift occurred within the alliance, and noted that the BJP has not sought additional cabinet berths. “It is a decision between two political parties, it is the decision of the respective MLAs. It has nothing to do with the NPP as such. Therefore, it is really the desire and the decision of the MLAs, so I have no comment,” he said.“The strength of the coalition remains the same because it is very much within the coalition. So it does not disturb the overall functioning of our government. Even if that was the case, we have a simple majority in the House and we are quite confident that everything will be as usual,” Sangma said. He also ruled out an immediate cabinet reshuffle.Rijiju, who welcomed the MLAs into BJP, said the northeast had faced humiliation under Congress rule. He said the party treated the region as politically insignificant due to its small number of MPs and MLAs, and claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the region’s politics by “embracing the region”.
