TURA, APR 6: Independent GHADC Member of District Council (MDC) from Balachanda Sofior Rahman on Wednesday extended his support to National People’s Party (NPP) led Garo Hills Progressive Alliance (GHPA) executive committee of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Rahman had supported the Congress and was part of the opposition.
In the 29-member district council, the ruling had 15 MDCs and the opposition had 14. Rahman’s decision to withdraw support from the Congress puts the strength of the opposition to 13 and strength of the ruling NPP to 16.
The opposition, which comprises of seven Congress, five Independents and a NCP member, were trying to horse trade to break the NPP led alliance.
However, the opposition faces difficult situation as a group of four Independents and a NCP members are together under the banner of Garo Hills United Alliance (GHUA), who have pledged to seek exclusion of non-tribals from district council election.
A move by section of opposition members, who had raised the issue of exclusion of non-tribals from district council, had forced Rahman to take the decision. His joining NPP increases the tally of non-tribal MDCs in the ruling bench to two.
In the just concluded budget session of the GHADC, Independent MDC from Tura Rupert M. Sangma had moved the motion on the exclusion of non-tribals from district council.
The motion could not be debated as the house was adjourned sine die, as Congress MDC from Rongram Ismail Marak was not allowed by the chairman of the council Boston Marak to raise supplementary questions, forcing all opposition MDCs to stage a walk out.
Rahman did not attend the session, as he was away for treatment of his mother at Guwahati.
Speaking to this correspondent, Rahman said, “I am happy that NPP has welcomed me to join them. People in plain belt area of Garo hills have raised its anger against the Congress as the opposition has failed to protect the rights of the non-tribals”.
He said that people in the plain belt area is unhappy with the Congress as they have neglected them for years. “The state government claims of holistic development. However, plain belt area has remained neglected. We have not got any attention from the state government, which is visible”, he said.- From Our Correspondent
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