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Politics
Meghalaya Speaker Reviews Documents of Eight UDP Legislators After Their BJP Merger
✍️ India Today NE
🗓 26 Sep 2026, 03:32 AM
👁 6
The Speaker of Meghalaya’s Legislative Assembly has begun scrutinising the paperwork of eight United Democratic Party MLAs who recently merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly announced that he is examining the formal documents submitted by eight United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators who have recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This verification process is a statutory step to ensure that the legislators’ change of affiliation complies with the provisions of the anti‑defection law and the assembly’s rules.
The eight MLAs had announced their merger with the BJP earlier this week, prompting the Speaker to request their resignation letters, party affiliation forms and any other relevant paperwork. The scrutiny will determine whether the legislators can retain their seats under the new party banner or if they risk disqualification for violating the anti‑defection provisions.
The Speaker’s office has said that the review will be completed in accordance with the assembly’s procedural timetable, and that a decision will be communicated to the concerned members and the public once the assessment is finished.
This development underscores the procedural safeguards that state legislatures employ when elected representatives switch parties, aiming to maintain the integrity of the electoral mandate.
The eight MLAs had announced their merger with the BJP earlier this week, prompting the Speaker to request their resignation letters, party affiliation forms and any other relevant paperwork. The scrutiny will determine whether the legislators can retain their seats under the new party banner or if they risk disqualification for violating the anti‑defection provisions.
The Speaker’s office has said that the review will be completed in accordance with the assembly’s procedural timetable, and that a decision will be communicated to the concerned members and the public once the assessment is finished.
This development underscores the procedural safeguards that state legislatures employ when elected representatives switch parties, aiming to maintain the integrity of the electoral mandate.