Boston elected GHADC CEM

SHILLONG, JULY 18: The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) today elected its new chief executive member Boston Marak paving way for the formation of a Congress led executive committee.

Marak defeated the National People’s Party (NPP) nominee Sukharam Sangma by 17 votes during the election to the post of the chief executive member held on Tuesday.  The voting was conducted through secret ballot.

Sangma clinch the support of only 11 MDCs.

The election was necessitated after the three-month Administrator’s Rule imposition in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) was lifted recently.

In his address, the newly elected CEM Boston Marak appealed for the support of all members for ensuring the smooth functioning of the Council.

“Let us set aside party affiliation and work for the smooth functioning of the Council,” he said.

It was on April 4, the Governor of Meghalaya Banwarilal Purohit has imposed the administrator’s rule in the GHADC and the deputy commissioner of South Garo Hills District CV Darlong Diengdoh took over charge of the Council.

This was following the collapse of the National People Party (NPP) led executive committee after the former CEM Denang T Sangma resigned without facing the No-Confidence in the floor of the House on March 30.

Boston had rebelled against his own party NPP and against his own cousin Tura MP Conrad K Sangma for not heeding to the demands for a change in leadership at the district council.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress congratulated the newly elected CEM of the GHADC.

“The cross voting from the NPP/BJP camp further shows the lack of faith in the current leadership of their alliance, which include the Kongkal brothers who had been meddling in the District Council affairs during the tenure of the previous Executive Committee led by Denang T Sangma,” MPYC president Richard Marak said.

He said it looks like the highhandedness of the NPP high command is finally taking its toll and cracking the party in the middle with dissent among its ranks.

“We also congratulate the members and supporters of the newly formed council in their conscientious and historic decision to go with the mandate of the people and form a new council in the true spirit of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution despite all the obstacles that were trying to prevent this historic occasion,” he said.

Richard also added – “We look forward to the new era that will be ushered to the GHADC under the leadership of Boston Marak and hope that the functioning of the GHADC will be more transparent and autonomous as it is meant to be.”