SHILLONG: In a dramatic turn of events that threatens to reshape the political landscape of Meghalaya, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has been pushed to the brink of virtual extinction.
On October 19, 2026, UDP President Metbah Lyngdoh took swift and decisive action by issuing an official notification to expel three of the party’s prominent MLAs—Paul Lyngdoh representing West Shillong, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar representing Mawkyrwat, and Nujorki Sungoh representing Mookaiaw—stripping them of their primary membership with immediate effect.
This high-stakes purge materialized directly in response to a bold political maneuver by the lawmakers themselves.
On that very same day, the trio orchestrated a coordinated move to distance themselves permanently from the UDP.
They officially approached the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, submitting formal letters of intent to merge and align their political futures with the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
According to the party headquarters, the President’s hand was forced after local news reports flooded media channels confirming that these key stalwarts had finalized their defection to the NPP.
The timing and scale of this mass exit highlight deepening internal fissures and strategic realignments within regional politics.
With the formal departure and subsequent expulsion of Paul Lyngdoh, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar, and Nujorki Sungoh, the once-formidable UDP finds its legislative strength decimated.
The party is now left in an unprecedented and precarious position, structurally reduced to a solitary MLA in the House—party President Metbah Lyngdoh himself.
This latest crisis compounds the party’s historic woes, coming closely on the heels of an earlier exodus that saw eight other MLAs break ranks to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in preceding months.
As the dust settles on October 19, 2026, political analysts are closely monitoring how Metbah Lyngdoh plans to steer the fractured regional outfit through this existential storm.
(4FrontMedia news)
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