GHADC crisis: Conrad’s cousin eyes CEM post, MP rushes to Tura
TURA: The National People’s Party of late P.A Sangma is facing one of its worst political crises in its bastion after a rebellion against the party leadership by none other than late Sangma’s nephew and current GHADC Chairman Boston Marak.
Boston staked claim to the post of the chief executive member after the opposition Congress and Independents called for the dismissal of the Denang T. Sangma-led Executive Committee and moved a no-confidence motion on Wednesday morning.
Curiously, the chairman had accepted the motion for debate and voting on Thursday. The drama further unfolded with the Congress throwing its weight behind Boston.
Boston is the son of late Sangma’s elder brother and has been representing Nogorpara district council constituency for a second successive term. He claims to have the support of 17 of the 29 MDCs in the House.
The NPP-led Garo Hills Progressive Alliance currently has 19 MDCs and the opposition Congress and Independents together have nine members.
Three members from the opposition bench, Tura Independent MDC Rupert M. Sangma, Congress’s Jogonsing D. Sangma of Bolsong (Bajengdoba) and Independent Kenidik S. Marak from Siju constituency jointly moved the no-confidence motion against the current EC.
“I have decided to contest for the CEM position because a demand is there for a ‘popular’ government in the Council. The current Executive Committee has failed on all fronts and none of the current members are willing to support it. It would have collapsed anytime and has been surviving due to the blessings of the party high command,” alleged Boston, who has become a formidable political force in the new set-up.
The chairman accused the present EC of failing to lift the Council from its current financial woes.
“The staff has not been paid their monthly dues for the last nine months even though the Council is receiving revenue to the tune of approximately Rs 3-4 lakh everyday from various taxes. The settlement of the haats has also been against the established norms and no alternative revenue generation was taking place,” said Boston.
The situation forced NPP president Conrad Sangma to cut short his other engagements in Delhi and rush to Tura on Wednesday evening. He was due to receive the Padma Vibhushan on behalf of his late father from President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.
The Tura MP admitted that there are some minor issues, which would be resolved. At the same time, the Tura MP expressed confidence that everything was fine in the EC and the present EC has the numbers to succeed during the voting on Thursday.
“There was some misunderstanding among a few members but it has been sorted out. We are going to win the floor test on Thursday,” he told The Shillong Times. The opposition too claimed that it has the numbers saying the strength of the ruling NPP alliance was gradually crumbling.
Winnison Marak, member from the ruling alliance and Executive Member (EM) for Land and Revenue, extended support by standing up in favour of the motion when the chairman sought a headcount.
“We have the support of 15 MDCs on our side,” said Rupert Sangma and added that after the fall of the current EC, a ‘United Alliance’ having members from different political parties would lead the District Council.
Earlier in the day, Independent MDC Rupert Sangma, when asked about the reason for moving the no-trust motion, said, “There was no transparency in the central government’s Rs 100.71-crore special assistance fund to the GHADC for developmental schemes. Also, the employees of the Council have not been paid for more than eight months by the current EC.”
NCP MDC Righteous Marak and Ismail R. Marak of the Congress had joined the BJP last year. On Wednesday, the duo’s return left BJP with just three MDCs in the ruling NPP alliance.
Despite the political rumblings, the ruling NPP alliance remains defiant. “Our EC is stable and we have the numbers. We will prove our strength on the floor of the House,” claimed the CEM.