CEM, Chairman to be elected unopposed as Opp stay away

SHILLONG, Feb 27: First-time MDCs of the Voice of the People Party (VPP), Shemborlang Rynjah and Strong Pillar Kharjana, are all set to be elected unopposed as the new Chief Executive Member (CEM) and the Chairman of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) respectively as the opposition decided against contesting.
Rynjah, who represents Lyngkyrdem-Laitkroh, and Kharjana, who got elected from Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah, are the only ones who filed nominations on Thursday for the elections to the posts of CEM and Chairman.
Rynjah, a resident of Laitlyngkot, is a graduate (BA with honours in political science). He is the secretary of Khasi Jaintia Welfare Association (Research Cell) and member of the Khasi Authors’ Society. He holds the post of joint secretary of the VPP State Executive Committee.
Kharjana, a former teacher, is a resident of Lumdiengjri, Shillong. He is a BA and B.Ed. He left his teaching profession in 2019 to become actively involved in politics. He was a former member of KHNAM before joining the VPP along with party North Shillong’s MLA Adelbert Nongrum ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls.
The VPP on Wednesday decided that Rynjah would lead the new Executive Committee (EC) in the KHADC as the CEM. The party also announced the name of Kharjana for the post of Chairman. It was learnt that Rynjah was chosen due to his leadership quality. VPP sources said the party leadership felt he is a perfect man to hold this position.
“We named Rynjah as the CEM due to his qualities and capacity,” a senior party leader said.
The scrutiny of the papers was held at the office chamber of the KHADC Legislative Wing Secretary Balentine Sohtun after the filing of nominations.
Sohtun told reporters that all three nominations, including two sets of nominations filed by Rynjah for the election to the CEM post and one set of nominations filed by Kharjana for election of chairman, were found to be valid.
“Both of them are set to be elected uncontested,” he said.
The opposition has 12 MDCs comprising five from United Democratic Party (UDP), four from National People’s Party (NPP), two Independents and one from Hill State People’s Democratic Party.