By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 15: As the delimitation exercise reaches closer to its end, NPP MDC from Mawlai Teibor Pathaw has voiced strong opposition to the delimitation committee’s recommendation to detach Mawlai Mawroh from the Mawlai constituency and attach it to Jaiaw.
Speaking to reporters, Pathaw firmly stated his refusal to accept this proposal, arguing that the current delimitation exercise should focus on readjusting existing constituencies rather than separating them.
He insisted that Mawlai Mawroh should remain part of the Mawlai constituency, regardless of whether this results in a higher electorate count compared to other constituencies.
Pathaw acknowledged that a different scenario could emerge if a new constituency were to be created from the Mawlai constituency as per the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule. However, he noted that this amendment, which aims to increase the number of seats in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), still requires approval from Parliament and will take time to implement.
“But I am not going to allow the separation of Mawlai Mawroh from the Mawlai constituency as part of the proposed readjustment of the existing 29 constituencies,” Pathaw asserted.
Pathaw also mentioned that he has already raised his concerns with the chairman of the Select Committee, Pynshngain N Syiem, regarding the delimitation committee’s recommendations.
The Select Committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting this week to review the delimitation committee’s report. The KHADC recently referred the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Constitution of District Councils) (Amendment) Rules, 2024, tabled during the recent council summer session, to the Select Committee. This referral aims to guide the delimitation of constituencies for the upcoming district council polls based on the committee’s recommendations.
