Shillong, September 12: Former United Democratic Party (UDP) leader and ex-Nongthymmai MLA Jemino Mawthoh formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, with senior BJP leader A.L. Hek saying he had been persuading Mawthoh to join the party since 2021 and asserting that Meghalaya would have a BJP-led government in 2028.
Mawthoh joined the BJP in the presence of state president Rikman G. Momin, Hek and other party leaders, ending months of speculation over his political future following his resignation from the UDP last year.
Welcoming Mawthoh, Hek described him as a politician guided by principles and humanity. “I have been following up with Jemino since 2021. I went to his house several times with the former in-charge of Meghalaya to convince him to contest from BJP in the 2023 election. He is a great personality and a gentleman; I can vouch for him,” Hek said.
Pointing to Mawthoh’s decision to remain politically inactive for several months after leaving the UDP, Hek said it reflected his principles. “Before joining any political party, he resigned from UDP and sat quietly for many months. That shows he is a man of principle. He did not want to betray or hurt anybody,” he said.
Hek said he had known Mawthoh since their younger days when they were associated with Seng Samla Shillong and praised his emphasis on service to people. “Above all his degrees and positions, what he understands is humanity. If you know how to respect humanity and serve humanity, that is the best way, whatever community or faith you belong to,” Hek said.
Turning to the political situation in the state, Hek said the BJP’s target was to lead the government after the 2028 Assembly elections. “Our target, our goal is 2028. Keep it in your head — 2028 will be a BJP-led government in Meghalaya. We have taken this pledge,” he said.
He called upon BJP workers to strengthen the party at the grassroots, saying electoral numbers would ultimately determine whether the party could form the government. “Every individual must strengthen the party in whichever constituency you belong to because in politics numbers are important. When we get the numbers and the majority, then we can say we can form the government in Meghalaya,” Hek said.
Mawthoh, meanwhile, said his decision to join the BJP came after years of attempting to bring Meghalaya’s regional political forces together. The former UDP working president and nine-year general secretary said he had tried to forge a strong united regional platform but eventually concluded that the effort was not progressing. “We tried our best to bring regional forces together but could not materialise it. I felt it was not going anywhere,” he said.
Responding to criticism over his decision to join a national party after spending years in regional politics, Mawthoh said, “My reply is, why not BJP?” He said the BJP’s governance, development programmes, infrastructure push and its vision of a developed India by 2047 were among the factors that influenced his decision. “It is not about money, not about position. It is about the direction which the BJP is trying to give to the people of the country,” Mawthoh said.
He also cited national security and concerns over infiltration in the Northeast, saying stronger protection of strategic areas such as the Siliguri Corridor would be important for smaller ethnic communities in the region. Mawthoh said he had initially considered leaving the UDP after losing the 2023 Assembly election but withdrew his resignation following requests from party leaders. He eventually quit after the 2025 parliamentary and district council elections, saying he had become dissatisfied with Meghalaya’s political climate. “I felt disgruntled looking at the state of affairs and political climate in Meghalaya. We have so many faces with calibre, capacity and intelligence to take the state forward, but we were never able to bring them together,” he said.
However, Mawthoh rejected suggestions that UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh’s leadership was responsible for the current turmoil within the regional party amid reports that eight of its MLAs are inclined to join the BJP. “Metbah Lyngdoh is a very respectable man. I have worked with him as general secretary and we share a very good relationship,” he said.
Mawthoh pointed out that the UDP had grown from six to 12 MLAs and won four bye-elections during Lyngdoh’s presidency. “How can we say it is because of leadership? He has tried his best to keep the party together. Disgruntlement will always be there in any political party because of the dynamics of politics,” he said.
Asked about reports that eight UDP MLAs were considering joining the BJP, Mawthoh said he had not personally spoken to them but would welcome them if they decided to make the switch. “I have not interacted with them, so I don’t know if they are happy or unhappy. I have seen in papers that they are inclined to join BJP and they must have their reasons. If they come, the more the merrier,” he said.
Mawthoh suggested that any dissatisfaction among UDP legislators could be linked to their experience within the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government rather than problems within the UDP itself. “UDP is part of the MDA government. From what I heard here and there, it is due to disillusionment for not being able to perform as per their expectations. It is also posturing — to tell the government to respect MLAs in their constituencies,” he said, clarifying that he had no direct communication with the legislators concerned.
He maintained that he bore no ill will towards his former party. “Nothing is wrong with UDP. I had a very good time. I was working president for two years, general secretary for nine years and MLA for five years. I have nothing against UDP. I exited gracefully. There is no ill feeling or enmity,” he said.
Mawthoh also said Meghalaya’s political landscape was changing and argued that the BJP could significantly increase its representation by 2028. “We may have two MLAs now, but who can say we won’t have more in 2028? NPP also had only two MLAs earlier and now has over 20. We too can mobilise public support,” he said.
