UDP chief urges media to verify facts before publishing politically sensitive reports

Shillong, August 31: United Democratic Party (UDP) president Metbah Lyngdoh on Monday strongly dismissed reports that nine party legislators were planning to defect to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), terming the reports incorrect, misleading and unsupported by facts.

Speaking to journalists, Lyngdoh expressed disappointment over the circulation of the reports without verification with either the UDP leadership or the legislators concerned.

“I have personally spoken to all the UDP MLAs, and none of them has expressed any intention to leave the party or join the BJP. I have spoken directly to the right people—not to third parties—and I have to believe what they have told me,” he said.

Lyngdoh said the recent visit of some UDP legislators to Delhi had been wrongly interpreted as a political exercise linked to a possible move to the BJP. He clarified that the visit was related to an official matter, including a meeting with a Union minister over an issue pending before Parliament.

He also rejected reports that some UDP MLAs had travelled to Kolkata or Delhi to negotiate with BJP leaders. According to Lyngdoh, several legislators went to Kolkata on Saturday for personal or business purposes and their visit had no political connection.

“They informed me that they were going to Kolkata for personal work and business. There was nothing political about the visit,” he said.

The UDP president further denied reports of growing dissatisfaction among party legislators with his leadership. He said he had recently met the MLAs and none had raised any grievance or indicated that they had lost confidence in him.

Acknowledging that disagreements and grievances can arise in any political organisation, Lyngdoh said the UDP had always addressed such issues internally through discussions.

“There will always be grievances, problems and differences in every political party. Even a party governing on its own may face internal differences. We discuss such matters and resolve them within the party,” he said.

Lyngdoh appealed to journalists and media organisations to verify politically sensitive information before publishing it, saying speculative reports could mislead the public and create unnecessary confusion within the party.

“As of today, I do not see any attempt by any UDP legislator to join the BJP. They remain very much with the UDP,” he asserted.