Shillong, Sep 23: In a strange political step, the UDP leadership has decided to suspend the membership of three of its MLAs who joined the BJP today.
It may be noted that eight UDP legislators formally joined the BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
The UDP’s State parliamentary board met today in Shillong to discuss the political development which has reduced the strength of the party in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to just four.
Party president Metbah Lyngdoh told mediapersons that the parliamentary board has decided to suspend the membership of three of the eight defectors.
Two of the suspended UDP members – Kyrmen Shylla (Khliehriat) and Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah (Mawphlang) were suspended for holding meeting with their supporters to announce their plan to join the BJP.
Ollan Sing Suin (Mawsynram) was suspended for making a statement to the media after the UDP’s central executive committee meeting on October 11 that he sees no problem in joining the BJP.
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According to Lyngdoh, the three MLAs were issued show-cause notices and told to appear or send written reply to the parliamentary board today itself.
“Since they neither appeared nor send written reply, we have decided to suspend their membership till further order,” the UDP president said
However, the parliamentary board chose to take no disciplinary action against five other MLAs who joined the BJP together with Shylla, Kurbah and Suin.
Further, the UDP’s parliamentary board was silent as far as West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh who has strongly lashed out at the party leadership in the media recently.
Interestingly, suspension of membership of MLAs is taken before they defect to another party. On the contrary, UDP suspended the three MLAs after they had switched over to the BJP.
This strange disciplinary action by the UDP against the trio would have no bearing as the MLAs are now members of another political party.
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It seems the UDP was confused as to how to react to the mass defection by its MLAs to the BJP.
There are also reports that three UDP legislators – Paul Lyngdoh, Renikton Tongkhar and Nujorki Sungoh – are likely to defect to the NPP.
If the three remaining MLAs of the UDP decide to desert the party, Metbah Lyngdoh would be the only MLA to stay in the sinking ship.
