Conrad Sangma calls UDP exit from MDA painful
The Meghalaya Chief Minister denied allegations that the National People's Party lured legislators to join the ruling coalition.
Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad K. Sangma described the United Democratic Party's (UDP) withdrawal from the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) as a painful decision, according to The Sentinel.
Sangma stated that he did not want the UDP to leave the coalition due to his personal ties with the party's leadership. He clarified that the UDP made the choice to withdraw independently and was not pressured by the NPP.
The Chief Minister noted that the departure of multiple UDP legislators has changed the political arithmetic in the Assembly. He said these changes made it difficult to support the UDP's continued presence in the Cabinet.
Sangma also rejected claims made by Trinamool Congress leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma that the NPP used inducements to attract legislators. He maintained that the former UDP MLAs who moved to the BJP and the NPP acted of their own volition.
The shift in membership has left the UDP with only one MLA. This change in political equations comes ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.