Meghalaya: UDP Withdraws from Government, Ending 13-Year Alliance with NPP

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The United Democratic Party (UDP) on Tuesday announced its withdrawal from the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance-II government, ending its 13-year political partnership with the National People's Party (NPP).

The decision followed the resignation of UDP president and its lone legislator, Metbah Lyngdoh, as a Cabinet minister. Announcing the decision after an emergency meeting of the party's Central Executive Committee, general secretary Titosstarwell Chyne said the withdrawal was unanimously approved.

Chyne said Lyngdoh had resigned voluntarily after consulting party leaders and faced no pressure to quit. He added that the UDP would reorganise itself and rebuild its presence in constituencies where it had no MLA or MDC. He said the NPP, with 36 MLAs, had sufficient numbers to run the government with the support of 11 former UDP legislators and two HSPDP MLAs, even without the UDP's participation in the coalition.

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