Jemino Mawthoh, who once held a legislative seat for the United Democratic Party, has confirmed he will formally cross over to the Bharatiya Janata Party on September 12, bringing his supporters along with him.
Announcement follows a meeting with supporters
Mawthoh shared the news on Sunday, saying the timing of the switch was decided after he sat down with his supporters at a meeting held the previous day in Shillong. According to him, the group discussed the move together before settling on the September 12 date for his entry into the BJP.
A long road out of the UDP
Mawthoh is no ordinary defector. He held senior positions inside the United Democratic Party for several years, serving as both its vice president and general secretary before eventually parting ways with the outfit. He formally stepped down from the UDP in May, months before Sunday's announcement.
An offer that dates back to 2020-21
The BJP's interest in Mawthoh is not new. He revealed that the party had reached out to him about joining its ranks as far back as 2020-21, with discussions and indications of a possible switch surfacing even then. At the time, however, he chose to hold off, saying he preferred to let more time pass before committing to any political move.
Part of a wider shake-up brewing in Meghalaya
Mawthoh's decision lands at a moment of intense political speculation across Meghalaya, with murmurs growing louder about a possible larger exodus from the UDP ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. Political circles in the state have been actively discussing the possibility that as many as nine of the UDP's 12 sitting MLAs could eventually make the jump to the BJP, a shift that would significantly alter the state's political landscape well before voters head to the polls.
