Guwahati, Sept. 23 -- Eight United Democratic Party (UDP) MLAs from Meghalaya joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday, marking a formal split from the 12-member regional party.

The induction came days after the legislators had indicated that they would switch to the BJP if the party's central leadership agreed to a set of demands, including the inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, changes to coal-mining restrictions and implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA).

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra announced the induction at the party headquarters. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju was also present at the event.

The eight ...