MLAs who switched sides after 2018 elections in Meghalaya

Elections mean heated campaigns, political warfare, manifestos, and promises. Another aspect that has become commonplace is leaders switching parties and breaking allegiances.

In Meghalaya, almost one-third of the MLAs have switched their allegiance from the last polls that took place in 2018. Almost 20 MLAs out of the 60-member state assembly have left the parties they contested the elections from and many of them even joined the party that they opposed during campaigning.

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With elections around the corner, in the last month, Meghalaya witnessed numerous defections. The only Nationalist Congress (NCP) MLA joined Congress, two National People's Party (NPP) leaders left the party to join BJP, an NPP leader joined Trinamool, and a Trinamool candidate shifted to BJP.

In what can be called a mass migration of leaders from one party to another, last year in November, around 12 Congress MLAs left the party to join former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma-led Trinamool, making it the main opposition in Meghalaya overnight.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had won 21 seats, NPP 20, BJP 2, and the rest were won by other regional parties and independent candidates. Apart from that over the tenure, a Trinamool leader also joined the main political outfit of the state- the United Democratic Party (UDP), two Trinamool leaders joined NPP, an Independent leader joined BJP, while two People's Democratic Front (PDF) leaders joined NPP.

The independent candidates were also seen joining major political outfits. The four-time independent MLA Samuel Sangma has joined the BJP.

In the upcoming polls, BJP has pitched a candidate in all 60 seats. The TMC, which is the main opposition, is fielding 55 candidates and the United Democratic Party is contesting 46 seats.