By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 22: The MDCs of five constituencies from West Khasi Hills and Eastern West Khasi Hills want that areas falling under the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) constituencies in the two districts remain the same as Assembly constituencies.
Nongstoin, Rambrai-Jyrngam, Mawshynrut, Mairang and Mawthadraishan are the five constituencies.
Nongstoin Congress MDC Gabriel Wahlang told The Shillong Times on Monday that the MDCs from West Khasi Hills had submitted a representation to the KHADC two years ago requesting its Executive Committee to delimit constituencies in West Khasi Hills in line with the Assembly constituencies.
“We were happy when the Governor had constituted the delimitation committee for readjustment and realignment of the council’s existing 29 constituencies. But the recommendations of the delimitation committee are not as per our expectations,” Wahlang said.
He, however, said it was not the fault of the delimitation committee as the villages did not come forward to submit their representations on the constituency they would like to be attached to.
According to him, the delimitation committee completed its job as mandated.
To a query, Wahlang said Nongstoin will be the biggest district council constituency, bigger than even Mawlai constituency. He said Nongstoin will now have over 56,000 voters going by the recommendations of delimitation.
“Presently, there are 46,000 voters in Nongstoin constituency. I feel it is unjustified since there will be an addition of 10,000 plus electorate. Therefore, I have decided to submit my representation to the Select Committee,” Wahlang said.
According to him, the other MDCs from West Khasi Hills and Eastern West Khasi Hills will also submit a representation to impress that the areas to be covered under their constituencies should be the same as the Assembly constituencies.
“We would like to see that the number of voters is retained and there is no difference. It will be easy for the MDCs to work closely with the MLAs if the areas of district council constituencies and assembly constituencies are the same,” Wahlang said.
The Nongstoin MDC said they have asked the villages to submit their representations to the Select Committee.
KHADC Deputy Chief Executive Member, PN Syiem, who also chairs the Select Committee, said the Select Committee will soon meet to resolve some issues.
“We have received representations only from Mawlai Town Dorbar and Dorbar Shnong of Mawlai Mawroh so far,” Syiem said.
Earlier, he had stated that if the Select Committee completes its process, a special session of the KHADC will be convened for the members to discuss the readjustment of the council’s 29 constituencies.
The Dorbar Shnong of Mawlai Mawroh had unanimously resolved to remain within the Mawlai constituency, rejecting the delimitation committee’s recommendation to attach their locality to the Jaiaw constituency.