By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 14: The Meghalaya government has made it clear that elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) will be conducted only after the delimitation of constituencies is fully completed, passed by the House, and approved by the government.
Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of District Council Affairs, Prestone Tynsong, said a Delimitation Committee for the GHADC has already been constituted with the nod from the Governor.
The exercise aims to redraw constituency boundaries based on current population distribution, demographic changes, and administrative requirements across West, East, and South Garo Hills.
When asked whether the government would also wait for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls before announcing the polls, Tynsong clarified that it is not necessary at this stage. He pointed out that the responsibility for conducting the SIR lies with the Election Commission and not the state government. “Any time the order comes for SIR, we are ready,” he added.
The GHADC elections, originally scheduled for April 10, were indefinitely postponed by the state government following serious law-and-order disturbances in the Garo Hills region.
The unrest erupted after a February 17 notification by the GHADC Executive Committee mandated a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate for candidates contesting the council polls. Although strongly supported by Garo pressure groups, it triggered strong opposition from non-tribal communities, leading to protests, clashes, arson, and violence that claimed at least two lives in West Garo Hills.
The Meghalaya High Court later quashed the initial notification, but tensions continued. In response, the GHADC passed a landmark amendment making the ST certificate mandatory for all MDC aspirants — a long-pending demand since the council’s formation in 1952. The Governor granted assent to this amendment, and the council’s term was extended by six months till October 18, 2026, to allow time for restoring normalcy and completing necessary reforms.
Earlier, the Governor had approved the formation of a Delimitation Committee for the GHADC on March 28, and formally sanctioned the delimitation of its 29 constituencies on April 5.
