Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma is currently examining the documents submitted by the eight United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assembly Adviser Andrew Simons said on Friday.
According to Simons, all necessary documents related to the merger have been submitted to the Speaker for scrutiny. He said UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh and legislature party leader Sanbor Shullai have formally informed the Speaker about the merger with the BJP through a written communication.
“We are treating this as a merger with the BJP. All required documents have been submitted and will now be examined before the Speaker issues an order,” Simons said.
Addressing questions over Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, who was not present during the submission process, Simons clarified that his documents had also been filed. He added that the legislator was unable to attend due to another engagement but had completed all formalities.
The eight UDP MLAs joined the BJP earlier this week, significantly altering the political landscape of the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly. Following the development, the BJP’s strength in the House increased from two to ten MLAs, making it the second-largest party in the state legislature.
