Shillong, September 25: Eight former United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday formally submitted a letter to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly informing the House of their merger with the BJP. In the absence of Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma, who is currently in Malta on a post-conference study tour, the documents were submitted to Dr. Andrew Simons, Adviser (Legislation) of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. The legislators were accompanied by BJP state president Rikman G. Momin and BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai.
Speaking to reporters after receiving the documents, Simons confirmed that papers from all eight legislators had been submitted and that the letter was addressed to the Speaker, formally informing the Assembly of their merger with the BJP. He said the legislators had described their move as a merger and that the documents would now be processed and examined in accordance with the relevant rules and constitutional provisions.
“The papers have been submitted by all of them. The letter is addressed to the Hon’ble Speaker, informing about the merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party. They have submitted the required documents, and it will be processed accordingly,” Simons said. He added that the Speaker would examine the matter before passing an appropriate order. Of the eight legislators, seven were physically present during the submission. Mayralborn Syiem was absent, but his documents were submitted along with those of the other MLAs.
Asked whether the move could legally be treated as a merger of the UDP Legislature Party with the BJP when four UDP MLAs remain outside the group, Simons said the issue would have to be examined. He said the Assembly Secretariat would scrutinise all the points and documents submitted by the legislators before the Speaker takes a decision in accordance with the applicable rules and constitutional provisions.
The submission comes days after the eight legislators formally joined the BJP in New Delhi. The Assembly Secretariat will now process the merger claim, after which the Speaker is expected to pass an order on its validity.
