Despite being the single largest party in the current Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), the Congress faces an uphill task in trying to muster the numbers to form the Executive Committee (EC) to govern the council.
The Congress won 12 seats in the election with NPP following close behind with 11. The BJP fared better than most expected and won two seats including the prestigious Tura seat that was won by state vice president, Bernard Marak.
Three of the seats were won by independent candidates with Nikman Marak being the lone representative for the GNC. The UDP failed to open its account.
Of the three independent candidates, Nathawal S Marak won the Wagesik seat, Arbinstone Marak snatched the Rochonpara seat from the former CEM of GHADC, Dipul Marak of the NPP while Aktar Ali won the Zikzak seat from Sout West Gato Hills district.
Arbinstone is expected to align himself with the NPP as he had been an NPP member prior to the election and only contested as an independent due to not being given a party ticket. Aktar Ali, who had also sought a Congress ticket to contest is also most likely to go with Congress while Nathawal has still not made his intentions clear. The GNC is also likely to align with the NPP.
The Congress seems to have also missed a trick or two by not providing a party ticket to former MDC, Brigady Marak, who lost closely to the NPP candidate from Bolsong.
For the Congress, the big hurdle is the fact that the BJP has already made it abundantly clear that it would not align with the INC in the GHADC under any circumstances.
Further with the state being ruled by the NPP, the most likely movement of the independent candidates will be with the NPP, while the BJP too will join in the alliance along with the GNC. In such a scenario the NPP would actually have a cakewalk when it comes to EC formation.
Another thought doing the round is the fact that with the GHADC being beset with problems and employees still to be paid 33 months salaries, both parties would be wary of what awaits them if they are able to form the government.
