SHILLONG, OCT 13: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma on Tuesday said he cannot yet recognise the eight former United Democratic Party (UDP) legislators as BJP MLAs, as the legality of their merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is still under examination.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said he was awaiting legal opinions before taking a decision on the matter.
“I will not say BJP MLAs. You have already acknowledged their merger but the Speaker’s office still cannot. I am still examining and waiting for legal opinion,” he said.
The Speaker confirmed that the eight legislators had met him, describing the meeting as a cordial visit. He said he had informed them that the matter required further examination and that he needed more time before reaching a decision.
Sangma also said he had given UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh and the party’s remaining four MLAs 10 days to rectify defects in their petitions concerning the matter. He said the submissions contained omissions and lacked clarity in certain areas, and he was waiting for the necessary corrections along with legal opinions.
Explaining the delay, Sangma said he wanted to ensure that any decision was legally sound and based on a careful examination of the circumstances.
“Once beaten twice shy,” he said, referring to his previous ruling during an earlier split involving the Congress party. He maintained that the delay was not deliberate, adding that the Speaker’s office could not decide such matters without proper consideration.
Sangma also distinguished between the Speaker’s role in examining the legislators’ status and the Election Commission of India’s authority concerning recognition of a political party merger.
He said the Speaker’s office had yet to officially recognise the merger and that he was examining the party split alongside the disqualification petition filed against the legislators. He added that the UDP petition would be considered first before proceeding further.
The Speaker said he was also studying previous cases, including the Congress-TMC merger, as well as his own earlier ruling, which remains under scrutiny before the High Court.
Asked what the eight legislators should be called until a final decision is taken, Sangma said, “That is the question I am also asking myself.”
The Speaker’s decision is expected to clarify the legislative status of the eight former UDP legislators amid the ongoing dispute over their merger with the BJP.