With the regional Meghalaya party, United Democratic Party (UDP), being reduced to a single-MLA outfit from its position as the second largest party in the ruling National People’s Party (NPP)-led coalition, its defector legislators said their switch to national parties like the BJP and the NPP would help them “deliver better” in their respective constituencies across the state, claiming that their priority was development.

Recently, the UDP, which had 12 MLAs in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, led by Chief Minister and NPP president Conrad Sangma , saw an exodus, with eight of them joining the BJP on September 23 and three UDP legislators submitting an application before Speaker Thomas A Sangma Monday seeking to merge with the NPP.

The Speaker has already approved the merger of the eight rebel UDP MLAs with the BJP, which is also a constituent of the MDA. The UDP leadership has expelled from the party the three MLAs aiming to join the NPP.…