From Our Correspondent
TURA, Feb 19: As the GHADC polls continue to draw closer, the contest to secure a berth in the 29 seats of the Council just got more enthralling with a sitting legislator and two former MLAs jumping into the fray.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Gambegre MLA, Saleng A Sangma, has thrown his hat in the ring and has decided to take on sitting MDC, Rightious Sangma, from Babelapara constituency.
What is interesting here is that both Saleng and Rightious were once on the same team of the Congress.
Saleng won his first election as a Congress candidate but later parted ways over denial of ticket by then chief minister Mukul Sangma. Against all odds, he succeeded in retaining Gambegre as an Independent with a wafer-thin victory margin while Rightious, who was also backed by him, turned out successful.
Another politician who is leaving no stone unturned to return after 2018’s fiasco is the former Congress MLA from Kharkutta, Cherak W Momin.
He has also jumped into the fray and will be vying for a reentry to the GHADC after a gap of over six years. Momin was an MDC when he had secured the Kharkutta seat in the state assembly elections in 2013. He later decided against seeking reelection in the council, preferring to focus in state politics, until a shocking fiasco at the hands of Rupert Momin of the NPP in 2018 sent him to political oblivion for the past three years.
A third strongman coming from the plains of West Garo Hills is Ashahel D Shira, who will be vying for the GHADC seat from Batabari constituency. Shira is contesting on a Congress ticket. His USP is that Batabari MDC area forms a part of Rajabala assembly seat, which was previously held by Shira from 2013 to 2018.
Batabari, however, is currently held by Mark Goera B Marak.
With the entry of these three heavyweights, focus will primarily be on their seats, just as Siju and Rochonpara, where a former CEM and a sitting chief are hoping to turn the tide in their favour.