Voter turn-out for the election to the two Autonomous District Councils of Khasi & Jaintia Hills was lacklustre. This is indication enough that people, especially in the urban areas of Meghalaya, are in no mood to appease politicians or political parties. Disillusionment in the political system has set in. Large scale corruption, bad and unresponsive governance have all taken a toll on voter behaviour. People seem to have lost faith in the ability of the present political system to deliver what they most need, which is basic services and opportunities for gainful employment. When people were asked why they voted this time the answers were varied; some bordered on the absurd. Many voters in the rural areas hardly understand the basic differences in mandate between the District Council and the State Assembly. They voted because they still had some hope that the person who they voted for would improve their lives. They were misled yet again by electoral promises. When asked to amplify how the elected members of the District Councils could make their lives better, their standard response was that MDCs would ensure that customary laws and practices were retained and that land and resources would not be alienated from the indigenous tribes. These of course are tutored answers. The unthinking public repeat what they hear. They are yet to evolve into thinking voters who counter-question the candidates.
The election results also signal one thing – a united regional front can defeat the Congress, but a fragmented regional force will ensure Congress victory in the Lok Sabha election. While in Jaintia Hills the Congress might still form the Executive Committee with the help of Independents since the Party is short of one MDC only, in the Khasi Hills the regional parties have decided to keep the Congress out of the game. It remains to be seen if the regional parties can transcend their ideological egos long enough or at least until the Lok Sabha election. But they still have to decide who the consensus MP candidate is. If they go it alone then the Congress will have the upper hand. So it depends on the regional parties to get their act together.