Shillong: Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong has said that the state cabinet will decide on the matter related to tenure of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Deputy chief minister Tysong told sources that the matter will be discussed in the cabinet once Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma returns from his tour of Garo Hills. A meeting of the cabinet will be convened and the issue will be discussed.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally of the NPP-led MDA government has urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to take over the administration in GHADC if the elections cannot be held within this month to elect new members of the Council.
Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie asserted that the elections to the GHADC should not be postponed, and if the state government cannot conduct the elections, the Governor should take over the administration for three months.
Additionally, Tynsong also said that after the cabinet takes a decision, the state government would also go to the Governor to seek his approval for whatever decision taken by the cabinet.
On October 2, BJP in its core committee meeting decided to prepare and face the upcoming elections to the GHADC.
As per reports, the saffron party has received 38 applications from candidates in 14 district council constituencies so far.
The GHADC has 29 elected MDCs while one MDC is nominated by the Governor.
The last election to the GHADC was held on October 12, 2015 and counting of votes took place on October 15, 2015.
It is to be mentioned that Meghalaya was formed as an autonomous state on April 2, 1970 and as full fledged state on January 21, 1972 after being carved out of Assam.