NPP–TMC MDCs Unite to Push Leadership Change in GHADC

A political shift appears imminent in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) as members from the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have come together to seek a change in the council’s leadership.
According to party insiders, MDCs from the two parties are planning to remove the current Chief Executive Member (CEM), Albinush Marak, and form a new Executive Council to run the GHADC. The development indicates a major realignment in the political dynamics of the council.
Sources said that legislators supporting the move recently met C. H. Vijayashankar, the governor of Meghalaya, and briefed him on the ongoing efforts to alter the council’s leadership.
The GHADC consists of 29 elected members and one nominated member. According to insiders, the combined strength of MDCs from the NPP and TMC currently stands at 23, which gives the bloc a clear majority in the council.
Amid these developments, the council is scheduled to convene a special sitting on Monday to consider a no-confidence motion against the incumbent leadership. The meeting was called after the governor received a representation signed by 21 MDCs stating that they no longer have confidence in the present CEM.
The request for the special session was submitted on Saturday and was approved shortly thereafter. Subsequently, the District Council Affairs (DCA) Department issued an official notification announcing the decision.
As per the notification, the governor has convened the council meeting on March 16 at 11 am at the District Council Hall in Tura. The session has been called under sub-rule (5) of Rule 36 of the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951, as amended by the GHADC.
During the sitting, proceedings related to the no-confidence motion will be taken up under Rule 22(1), along with any other matters that may arise. The chairman of the council will preside over the session.
With a majority of MDCs backing the motion, the special sitting is expected to determine whether new leadership will take charge of the GHADC in the coming days.