Guwahati, Nov. 1 -- Meghalaya UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh has resigned from the state Cabinet after 11 of the party's 12 MLAs merged with the BJP and the National People's Party (NPP), leaving the UDP with just one member in the Assembly.

The Mairang MLA submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday. He said the recent political developments within the UDP had prompted him to reconsider his position in the government. However, he clarified that he was stepping down only as a minister and that the party would remain part of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA-II).

Lyngdoh denied that anyone had pressured him to resign, saying the decision was entirely his own. He added that the UDP's Central Executive...