Guwahati: Meghalaya UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh has resigned from the state Cabinet after 11 of the party’s 12 MLAs merged with the BJP and the National People’s Party (NPP), leaving the UDP with just one member in the Assembly.

The Mairang MLA submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday. He said the recent political developments within the UDP had prompted him to reconsider his position in the government. However, he clarified that he was stepping down only as a minister and that the party would remain part of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA-II).

Lyngdoh denied that anyone had pressured him to resign, saying the decision was entirely his own. He added that the UDP’s Central Executive Committee would consult party leaders and office-bearers before deciding on the party’s next course of action.

The UDP lost 11 of its 12 legislators after two groups joined its ruling coalition partners. Eight MLAs merged with the BJP in September, while three others joined the NPP, led by Sangma, earlier this month. The Speaker accepted both mergers.

The eight MLAs who joined the BJP are Lahkmen Rymbui, Kyrmen Shylla, Pius Marwein, Mayralborn Syiem, Matthew Beyondstar Kurbah, Ollan Singh Suin, Balajied Kupar Synrem and Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah. The three who joined the NPP are Paul Lyngdoh, Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and Nujorki Sungoh.

The NPP now has 36 members in the 60-member Assembly, while the BJP has 10. Both parties and the UDP are part of the NPP-led MDA-II government.

Before his resignation, Lyngdoh held the Power, Textiles, Water Resources and Taxation portfolios. He joined the Cabinet on September 16, 2025, along with Lahkmen Rymbui. The two replaced Paul Lyngdoh and Kyrmen Shylla as the UDP’s representatives in the government following a Cabinet reshuffle.

The exits have come amid reported differences within the UDP over leadership and organisational matters. The party had won 12 seats in the 2023 Meghalaya Assembly elections, making it the second-largest group in the House.

Separately, sources said Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma could reshuffle his Cabinet next week, with changes to ministerial appointments expected.