SHILLONG, MAR 25: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday indicated that the decision on holding the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections, postponed following violent protests against non-tribal participation, will be taken in consultation with the council leadership.
His statement came a day after Meghalaya Governor CH Vijayashankar has approved the amendment of the GHADC’s AD Rules, which seeks to make it mandatory for every candidate to hold a Scheduled Tribe certificate.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said, “We will see how it goes because again it is not the state government. I want to be very clear about it. As chief minister, we are there to always guide and always give whatever thoughts from our side, but ultimately the district council has to take a call.”
He emphasized the autonomous nature of the council, saying, “The district council is an autonomous body, so hence we will see and we will wait for the different decisions being made by the council. We are in close touch with the leaders of the district council, the new CEM and the new EC, and based on discussions, we will see how to move forward.”
The decision to amend the AD Rules also comes after the state government’s decision to extend the current tenure of the GHADC by six months following weeks of violent protests against non-tribal participation in the council elections, which was earlier scheduled to be held on April 10.
By Our Reporter
