From Our Correspondent
TURA, March 19: A sitting MDC representing Betasing constituency in South West Garo Hills, among the three candidates, have called it quits and withdrawn from the ensuing April 12 elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous district Council (GHADC), on the last day for withdrawal from the contest.
Betasing MDC Nripendra Koch, who was elected to the district council in 2015 as a Congress candidate, withdrew his candidature from his sitting constituency on Friday, taking his supporters aback. Denied a Congress ticket to recontest, he had filed his nomination as an Independent last week.
Reportedly miffed with Nripendra for aligning with the ruling NPP during the Council turmoil last year, the Congress decided to replace him with a new face, Sanjay Koch, as the party candidate for this election.
With the departure of Koch from the contest for the first time in recent times, there will be three sitting MDCs who have given the election contest a pass. Tura Independent MDC Rupert M Sangma and Batabari MDC Mark Goera B Marak (Independent) have also dropped out of the fray.
Besides Koch, another Independent candidate and the only non-tribal candidate to withdraw from the race was Abdus Satter from Zikzak constituency, which comprises Mahendraganj border belt where a sizable non-tribal population dwells.
The third candidate to drop out of the fray was Garo National Candidate (GNC) candidate John Pillar A Sangma, who withdrew from the contest for Raksamgre constituency where its sitting NPP MLA Benedic R Marak is also contesting the GHADC polls.
With the departure of the three candidates, the final figure stands at 182 candidates vying for 29 directly elected MDC constituencies in the five districts of Garo Hills.
The largest number of candidates remains 89 (after one withdrawal) in West Garo Hills which is host to 13 MDC constituencies, in East Garo Hills 16 candidates remain for three seats, 23 contestants for four seats in North Garo Hills, 32 candidates for five seats in South Garo Hills and 22 candidates for four seats in South West Garo Hills, after the withdrawal by the two Independent candidates.
With the completion of the nomination scrutiny and withdrawal process, the campaign has now begun in full swing for political parties and candidates as they try to woo the electorate ahead of the April 12 polls.
Mass resignation
Meanwhile, 15 executive members of the Raksamgre Block Congress Committee (BCC) among 556 members have reportedly resigned from the party.
The mass resignation took place under the leadership of Block Congress Committee president Sanam B Marak and secretary Romen A Sangma, after the members were disappointed with the allotment of the party ticket.
Forum condemns
CM’s statement
Reacting to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s recent statement on participation of non-tribals in the GHADC that ‘rules should have been changed when the GHADC was formed…’, the New Tura Development Forum (NTDF) on Friday sought that the particular clause in the Sixth Schedule, which was needed to be changed or amended, be pointed as stated by him.
“The chief minister should have said ‘the practices should have been changed’ because by issuing such statements it is indicated that the non-tribals have the right to take part in Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections which will be outrightly rejected by the people of Garo Hills,” the forum said.
The forum requested the chief minister to take note of the fact that the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) are created to safeguard the rights of the tribals including the Garos, adding that it makes no sense to grant the GHADC if the non-tribals are allowed to become its members.
“While other ADCs like the KHADC and JHADC do not allow non-tribals and others to take part in their ADC elections, the indigenous tribals of Garo Hills also expect that the elected leaders treat the GHADC and KHADC and JHADC alike,” the forum said.