Meghalaya Talks Over UDP Bloc Joining BJP Remain Unfinalised

Overview

• BJP sources confirmed on Friday that talks with a section of UDP legislators have begun but said the discussions are at an early stage and nothing is finalised.
• The UDP has called an emergency Central Executive Committee meeting and says it has received no formal notification from the MLAs, who have neither confirmed nor denied media reports.
• Press reports vary between eight and nine UDP MLAs weighing a move, a group size that would raise BJP strength from two to about ten and reduce UDP to roughly four if enacted as a legal merger.
• The reported bloc equals about two‑thirds of the UDP legislature party, a legal threshold that can let a group merge without attracting anti‑defection disqualification under Indian law.
• Sources say the legislators are waiting for government responses on specific demands—including MRSSA amendments, FCRA changes, and coal rules—and any successful switch would likely trigger negotiations over Cabinet seats and portfolios.