JOWAI: In a surprising twist of events, the Congress came together with UDP to oust Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) chief Awhoi Andrew Shullai on Thursday, the last day of the Budget session, while NPP stayed out of the game plan.
Shullai was installed as CEM of the council last year by the Congress. His term ended with a no-confidence motion on Thursday.
During the budget session, the JHADC chairman said he had received a no-trust motion from Bison Iano, MDC from Raliang, and suspended all business of the House.
Iano got the support of 17 members, including UDP’s Moonlight Pariat. The NPP members did not support Pariat during the floor test by standing up.
Pariat got the support from the JHADC chairman as well as Shullai and was elected unopposed as the new JHADC chief.
Later, the council Budget of Rs 167.18 crore with a deficit of Rs. 21.68 crore was discussed and passed unanimously without any cut motion as the chairman rejected cut-motions brought by BJP MDC Marki Mulieh.
During their felicitation speech for the new CEM, most of the JHADC members stressed the completion of the DoNER-sponsored Iawmusiang market project, which is pending due to non-release of the second installment of funds and other issues.
Thanking all the members for supporting him, Pariat said his priority would be to complete the Iawmusiang maket and solve the financial crisis of the council.
“Though JHADC is facing acute financial crisis, I assure all the officers and staff that their two months’ pending salary will be paid in a week or two,” Pariat said.
The employees of the council have not received their salary for the last three months now.
The UDP has gained majority after seven Congress MDCs joined the party taking the number to 10. Again the UDP was supported by eight Congress MDCs and now the strength of the new EC stood at 18.
Mulieh, the lone BJP member, also supported the no-trust motion but was not sure whether to be part of the UDP-Congress group. The NPP strength stood at 11, including former CEM MB Rymbai, who silently walked out after he understood that there was a no-trust motion move against the EC. Rymbai has campaigned for the post of CEM in the last few weeks.
