The United Democratic Party (UDP) has decided to come out of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (Neda) in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The party will continue to be a part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in the state.

Led by the National People’s Party (NPP), the MDA government is also supported by the BJP. The UDP, along with other political parties from the Northeast, has been a part of the Neda since the alliance was formed in 2016.

“The party has decided to sever ties with Neda after seeing the BJP’s aggressiveness to pass the bill,” UDP vice-president Allantry Franklin Dkhar said on Wednesday.

“The party, which has no MP, is not part of the National Democratic Alliance as it is a parliamentary alliance. The regrouping of all northeastern parties in Guwahati on January 29 rendered the Neda bereft of regional parties,” Dkhar said.

Party president Amit Shah recently said in Assam that if voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections, the bill would be brought back in Parliament. It had been passed by the Lok Sabha but not tabled in the Rajya Sabha. The bill will lapse on June 3.

On the UDP’s support to the MDA government, of which the BJP is also a part, Dkhar said, “The UDP supported the NPP to form the government after the Assembly elections last year. The UDP did not call the BJP to be part of the government.”

The MDA government was formed by six political parties — the NPP, UDP, HSPDP, PDF, BJP and NCP — besides Independents.

The UDP has seven legislators in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly. They are Speaker Donkupar Roy, ministers Metbah Lyngdoh, Lahkmen Rymbui and Kyrmen Shylla, besides H. Brolding Nongseij, Nujorki Sungoh and Pius Marwein. Two Independent legislators, S.K. Sun from Mawphlang constituency and Samuel M. Sangma from Baghmara, have also joined as associate members.