Shillong, October 31: In a significant political development in Meghalaya, United Democratic Party (UDP) president Metbah Lyngdoh has resigned as Minister in charge of Power in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, submitting his resignation letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma with effect from October 31.

The resignation comes in the wake of a major political setback for the UDP, which has lost 11 of its 12 legislators to the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Of the 11 legislators, eight joined the BJP, while three others — Paul Lyngdoh, Renikton L. Tongkhar and Nujorki Sungoh — joined the NPP. Their departure has left Metbah as the UDP’s lone representative in the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

Metbah’s decision to relinquish his ministerial position has raised questions about the UDP’s position within the MDA government and its future political direction following the defections.

The UDP had entered the Assembly with 12 legislators and was a key constituent of the ruling coalition. With the departure of his fellow party legislators, Metbah’s continued presence in the Cabinet had become a politically sensitive issue.

However, the specific reasons for his resignation were not available at the time of filing this report. It could not be independently established whether his decision was directly linked to the defections or the sentiments of UDP supporters.

Attention is now on Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma’s response to the resignation and the future allocation of the Power portfolio. The submission of the resignation letter does not, by itself, confirm its formal acceptance.

The development has also raised questions about the UDP’s future relationship with the MDA coalition. However, Metbah’s resignation from the Cabinet should not be construed as a formal withdrawal of the party’s support to the government.