TURA: There are happy tidings for the Garo National Council (GNC) which, for the first time in its history, will head the Executive Committee (EC) in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) after its Chief Executive Member (CEM), Boston Ch Marak joined the Garoland statehood demand party in Tura on Monday.
The rebel NPP MDC, Boston Marak, who was expelled from the party for aligning with the Congress and other Independents to dislodge the Denang T Sangma led EC in March last year, had taken over as the CEM in July.
Six months later, he has now joined the GNC in the presence of party president, Kalpana D Sangma, and will be contesting from the Salmanpara constituency in the upcoming Assembly polls. In an interaction with The Shillong Times, Boston revealed that he had joined the GNC and would be its candidate from the Salmanpara constituency in South West Garo Hills district.
“I joined the GNC on Monday after consultation with my supporters who wanted me to contest the elections from Salmanpara as their candidate,” he said.
Asked why he didn’t go for a Congress ticket as the party had helped him break the NPP-led EC in the GHADC, Boston replied said that since the Congress would be fielding its sitting legislator, he decided to join the GNC.
Boston promptly dismissed reports about the possibility of his removal from the CEM’s position now that he was heading a GNC-led Executive Committee in which the largest alliance partner was still the Congress.
“Majority of support is with me,” he said. “There is no resentment. I have joined the GNC for the coming elections which I intend to contest.”
Heading an alliance of Congress, GNC and Independent MDCs under the banner of the United Democratic Alliance, the GNC appears to be the biggest gainer bagging as many as three executive member (EM) positions despite having only four MDCs.
In the 11-member Executive Committee of the GHADC, apart from Boston as CEM, the GNC has Winnison Marak as Deputy CEM and Jimbert Goera R Marak as Revenue EM. The lone GNC member out of the equation is Augustine R Marak who was earlier the Deputy CEM in the NPP-led EC.
Interestingly, while Boston will be contesting against both the Congress and NPP from the Salmanpara seat, his colleague Augustine Marak is taking on sitting Independent legislator Rophul S Marak from the Siju-Rongara seat in South Garo Hills.
