Party general secretary says speculation should not be treated as fact; refuses to predict future political developments
Shillong, September 11: United Democratic Party (UDP) general secretary Titostarwell Chyne on Friday dismissed reports that eight party legislators had collectively decided to leave the UDP and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that the party remains united.
Speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting of the UDP, Chyne said the party had not suffered any split and rejected suggestions that it had become a “divided party”.
“There is no such move as of now,” Chyne said when asked about reports that several UDP legislators were planning to join the BJP within the week.
At the same time, Chyne declined to speculate on future political developments, saying, “We cannot anticipate what will happen tomorrow. I cannot say anything about what may happen in the future.”
He explained that the party had invited its legislators to the emergency meeting to provide them an appropriate platform to express their views before the leadership. He described the discussions as part of the UDP’s internal affairs and said no decision had been taken regarding any alleged move by the legislators to join another political party.
Responding to questions about the body language of the legislators during the meeting, Chyne said he was not an expert at interpreting such signs. He noted that the legislators appeared relaxed and were seen smiling during the discussions, and cautioned against assuming that they had already decided to leave the party.
Chyne also said that meetings between political leaders should not automatically be interpreted as an indication of an impending defection. Simply meeting leaders of another political party, he pointed out, does not necessarily mean that a decision to join that party has been taken.
The UDP general secretary further reiterated that there was no problem with the party leadership and appealed against drawing conclusions based on speculation rather than verified facts.
His clarification comes amid heightened speculation over the political future of several UDP legislators and reports of a possible move by some of them to the BJP.
