Garo Hills council polls delayed further as Meghalaya extends GHADC term

Elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) have been delayed further, with the Meghalaya Cabinet on Wednesday approving a second six-month extension of the council's term.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, with the first six-month extension of the GHADC set to expire on October 17.

“There was just one formal agenda -- extension of the term of the GHADC for six months,” Cabinet spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla told reporters after the meeting.

Shylla said the elections could not be held earlier due to law and order issues in the Garo Hills region.

“We could not hold the GHADC elections earlier due to the unfortunate incident there. Its term was extended for six months. The extension now is linked to delimitation and SIR exercise,” he said.

The first six-month extension was approved in March after the GHADC elections were postponed amid violence over the participation of non-tribal candidates in the council polls.

The dispute subsequently led to changes in the electoral framework, including a provision for separate electoral rolls restricted to Scheduled Tribe voters, officials said.

The government has since been working on completing the electoral process, including preparation and revision of the tribal-only electoral rolls.

With the latest extension, the government has exhausted the maximum one-year extension permitted under the law, officials said.

The GHADC polls are now likely to be held after the extended tenure ends in April 2027, subject to completion of the required electoral and administrative processes.

The GHADC administers the Garo Hills region under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. It has 30 seats, of which 29 are elected and one is nominated by the Governor.

Violence had forced postponement of polls

The elections were postponed following violent protests over the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC polls earlier this year.

Two people were killed and several others injured when security forces opened fire to disperse a violent mob in West Garo Hills district.

Violence erupted in Chibinang and Tura on the night of March 9 after a former MLA was allegedly assaulted by protesters. The unrest was followed by arson and vandalism, prompting authorities to impose an indefinite curfew, suspend mobile internet services and deploy the Army for flag marches.

The latest extension is intended to provide time for the delimitation and revision of electoral rolls before the council elections are held.