JOWAI: Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) chief executive member Awhoi Andrew Shullai is likely to lose support in the House during the winter session on January 22 after five members of the Congress quit to join NPP and BJP.
JHADC Congress MDCs Kilometer Lytan, Thombor Shiwat, Joinriwell Pyrtuh, Pheinlang Nanglein and Riio Sten resigned from the party last week.
Sources said either Thombor Shiwat, whom Shullai replaced as chief executive member last year, or MB Rymbai may become the new chief.
Rymbai is also a former CEM.
The Congress, which won 15 out of the 29 seats in the 2014 district council election, now has only 10 MDCs. It also has the support of some Independent members.
Rymbai and Shiwat will try their best to form a non-Congress executive committee, the sources said, adding that the former had claimed support of 17 MDCs.
However, when The Shillong Times spoke to a few MDCs, they said they would prefer Shiwat to Rymbai.
JHADC chief Shullai and Hollando Lamin of the Congress and Moonlight Pariat of UDP will contest the Assembly elections.
Shiwat, Nanglein and Sten have joined NPP to support Sniawbhalang Dhar. Lytan will support Comingone Ymbon, who has also joined NPP. Pyrtuh has joined BJP to support Justine Dkhar.
The Congress has forced Lamin of Amlarem to contest the upcoming polls after former MLA Lahkmen Rymbui left the party to contest on UDP ticket. The sources also said the Congress had tried to force Lytan to contest to contest against Ymbon but both left the party.
The Congress is yet to get candidates from Khliehriat and Raliang constituencies.
