SHILLONG, April 8: State BJP vice president, Bernard N Marak, on Thursday dismissed the spate of agitations by pressure groups against participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC polls as a “common phenomenon before every election”, but, in the same breath, assured to frame necessary rules to address the issue once the new Executive Committee is formed in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Reacting to the call by pressure groups for boycott of the elections, Marak asked the authorities to ensure free and fair elections.
“The High Court of Meghalaya has banned bandhs and anyone calling a bandh will do so in violation of the Court order. Authorities should ensure that the groups calling bandh should refrain from doing so or else strong action should be taken against the violators,” the state BJP vice president said.
Marak reasoned that instead of agitating, these groups should exert pressure on the Executive Committee of the GHADC to frame rules in this regard.
The State BJP vice president said that while the non-tribal candidates contest in the plain areas, the NGOs disturb the hill areas during every GHADC election.
“It is not fair that the weaker section of the society becomes easy prey to these NGOs during the election. They do this every five years with the sole motive of disturbing the voters from hills,” he added.
Talking about a possible solution to the impasse, Marak said, “BJP assures the agitating NGOs that the party will frame the required rules like those in KHADC as per the provisions of the Sixth Schedule.”
