Paul Lyngdoh returns to Meghalaya cabinet today after Metbah's exit

NPP legislator Paul Lyngdoh will be sworn in as a minister in the Meghalaya government at 5 pm on Monday, November 2, at Lok Bhavan in Shillong. Lyngdoh confirmed the induction when contacted by Meghalaya Monitor.

The move fills the vacancy left by United Democratic Party (UDP) president Metbah Lyngdoh, who resigned from the Cabinet on Saturday after 11 of the party's 12 MLAs left it, eight for the BJP and three for the National People's Party (NPP).

A return, a year on

Paul Lyngdoh is no newcomer to the Cabinet. He held Tourism, Arts and Culture, Social Welfare and Textiles as a UDP minister until the September 2025 reshuffle, when he was dropped and Metbah Lyngdoh came in under the UDP quota.

The Shillong Times reports that Paul did not hide his unhappiness at the time and went on to criticise Metbah's handling of the Power department, both inside the Assembly and outside. He recently moved to the NPP along with Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and Mowkaiaw MLA Nujorki Sungoh.

Portfolios still to be decided

Metbah Lyngdoh held Power, Water Resources, Taxation and Textiles. Which of these, if any, go to the new minister has not been announced. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma can either hand them out among existing ministers or use the vacancy for a wider reshuffle.

Metbah says he quit on his own

The Shillong Times, citing a source, reported that the Chief Minister had set a November 2 deadline for Metbah's exit and that he was told he would otherwise be dropped. Metbah has denied this, saying nobody asked him to resign and that the decision was voluntary and taken after consulting party colleagues.

The new numbers

After the defections, the BJP has 10 MLAs and the NPP 36 in the 60-member Assembly, giving the two parties 46 seats between them in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance. The UDP is down to a single MLA, Metbah Lyngdoh himself.

Monday's induction keeps the Cabinet at its earlier strength, and political watchers in Shillong will be looking at whether the Chief Minister also uses the moment to reshuffle departments among the NPP and BJP ministers.

NEInsider will update this story after the swearing-in and once portfolios are allocated.