Shillong: A day after resigning from the party, senior Congress leader and former Meghalaya Home Minister Horju Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh on Thursday announced to join the United Democratic Party (UDP), a key ally in the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.
“I will be joining UDP on June 29 after majority of my supporters want me to contest the upcoming assembly elections from Sohiong assembly constituency,” Lyngdoh said.
Lyngdoh quit from the primary membership of the Congress on Wednesday saying that the grand old party in the state as well as all over the country is declining.
Lyngdoh’s resignation was another body blow for the opposition Congress after 12 Congress legislators led by former Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma joined Mamata Banerjee’s party, the Trinamool Congress in November last year.
Moreover, the five Congress legislators, placed under suspension for supporting the BJP-backed Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, are also contemplating to contest the elections either from the ruling National People’s Party or its ally, the United Democratic Party (UDP).
The former Home Minister said that his resignation from the Congress was not due to any differences with members of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) but mainly on the advice of his supporters.
“I have to pay heed to their majority voices and demands as for the inevitable fact that they are the ones who are going to make me win or lose in the election. I am only their representative and they are the backbone, the strength and force behind me and without them I am nothing,” Lyngdoh said.
In the 2018 assembly elections, Lyngdoh lost to Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) candidate Samlin Malangiang by 622 votes.
