TURA: The National People’s Party has ended Congress rule in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council and taken over the Executive Committee after majority of the MDCs walked away from the Boston Marak-led EC to join hands with the opposition NPP.
The NPP’s Dipul R Marak, sitting MDC from Rochonpara constituency in West Garo Hills, has been elected unopposed as the new chief executive member (CEM) in an election that was heavily tilted to one side with the Congress failing to even put up a candidate for the contest on Monday afternoon.
In a house of 29 elected MDCs, Dipul commanded the support of 20 members while Boston was left in the lurch with just eight MDCs.
Dipul was the lone candidate to file his nomination for the CEM post in a special session of the GHADC that witnessed the near full strength of the NPP alliance while the Congress benches were literally empty with even outgoing CEM Boston Marak being conspicuous by his absence.
From the Congress fold, Wenison Ch Marak of the Garo National Council was the only one who attended the morning session of the GHADC while Ismail Marak made his entry when the House met in the afternoon only to make a quick disappearance before Deputy Chairman of GHADC, Mettrinson G Momin, announced the victory of Dipul. With the new political dispensation in place in the GHADC, the position of the current chairperson and Congress MDC from Dengnakpara, Sadhiarani Sangma, has become uncertain.
The new NPP-led Garo Hills Progressive Alliance (GHPA) in the GHADC is expected to appoint former CEM Denang T Sangma as chairman after the budget session that starts from Tuesday.
The alliance is also expected to reward senior NPP MDC from Damas constituency, Dolly K Sangma, with the position of deputy CEM while its alliance partner BJP will get two berths in the 12-member Executive Committee. The BJP currently has three MDCs — Kurosh Marak from Dalu, Bhupendra Hajong from Zikzak and Sofiur Rahman.
GNC, which has, at one point of time, been accused by its opponents of running with the hare and hunting with the hound, will see two of its MDCs sitting in the opposition benches.
Wenison Ch Marak and Jimbert Goera R Marak, both of whom were rewarded with positions by Boston for crossing over to the Congress fold have been left out in the cold by the new NPP alliance.
NPP sources reveal that party MDCs and alliance partners had voiced their opposition to any move for the return of both Wenison and Jimbert Goera holding them accountable, alongside Boston, for the collapse of the previous EC headed by Denang T Sangma.
Wenison had then been rewarded with the deputy CEM post by the Congress for the split. The lone GNC MDC who remained with the NPP alliance was former Deputy CEM Augustine R Marak.
Full circle
The writing was clearly on the wall for the rebel NPP leader who, eleven months ago, had engineered the collapse of the then NPP-led Executive Committee headed by Denang T Sangma. Boston had switched over to the Congress fold with a handful of MDCs from the ruling benches and was rewarded with the CEM position.
The opposition NPP, which had been baying for revenge, soon got their opportunity. Boston’s luck ran out on March 3, the day the results to the state elections were announced when the Congress was edged out by NPP that cobbled up a coalition to run the new government in the state.
The aftershocks of the state election results resonated all the way to the GHADC.
What started off as a trickle soon became a surge with MDCs from the Congress fold deserting Boston. By the time he tendered his resignation to Governor Ganga Prasad on Saturday, his strength was down to single digits.
New MLAs in CEM election
Two current MDCs from the NPP fold who contested the recent state elections and triumphed to become MLAs made their presence felt in the House during the election to the post of new CEM on Monday.
NPP MDCs Benedict Marak and SG Esmatur Mominin defeated Congress heavyweights Lemison D Sangma in Raksamgre and AT Mondal in Phulbari, respectively, in the Assembly polls.
Out of more than a dozen MDCs who contested the state elections this time, it was only Benedict and Mominin who emerged victorious.
Cong weakens drastically
The Congress, which less than one year back was sitting comfortably with a clear majority in the 29-member House, is now down to nine members. Besides chairperson Sadhiarani Sangma, the other members still in the fold are Boston Marak, Stevie Marak, Ismail Marak, Rupert Sangma, Kenedict S Marak, Wenison Marak, Goera B Marak and Jimbert Goera R Marak.
