Dates for next year’s District Council elections in the State would be decided after the District Council Affairs Department sent its proposal to the cabinet.
This was stated by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today while speaking to media persons.
Sangma said the government will decide the election process for Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) as per procedures.
“We are following the process and we are moving as per procedure. Whenever the department brings it to the government then we will decide how. The dates and everything will be decided,” he said.
On reports that the District Council elections may be postponed in view of amendment of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, Sangma said that no such report has come to him.
“No report has come to me. No particular file has come to me in this regard. Only when the files come to me and to the District Council Affairs minister only then we will be able to comment on that,” he said.
The term of the present houses in KHADC and JHADC will expire on March 5, 2024 and as such the elections have to be held by February 2024.
The KHADC has decided to initiate delimitation of its constituencies by bringing some parity in terms of the number of voters.
As part of this process, the KHADC has constituted a delimitation committee. The official notification in this regard was issued by the KHADC on October 20 after the Governor approved the proposal sent by the KHADC recently.
The chairman of the delimitation committee is former KHADC judge Dr. Stralwell Kharsyiemlieh. The members include former MLA Dr. S Loniak Marbaniang, NEHU teacher Prof D Rockyer L. Nonglait and former school teacher R Myrboh.
Former KHADC Secretary Monsoon Kharkrang was appointed as the member secretary of the committee.
As per the terms of reference, the delimitation committee will conduct public hearings at designated places to collect the views and opinions of the people of the constituencies.
Further, the committee will also place the proposed delimitation bill in public domain so as to enable people to submit their representations, views and comments.
No deadline was fixed for completion of the task and submission of its report. However, the notification only said that “the committee shall submit the report at the earliest”.
Sources in the KHADC said the delimitation process is for adjustment of voters in the KHADC constituencies so that there is parity in the number of voters especially in some bigger constituencies such as Mawlai which currently has more than 50,000 voters.
Recently, leader of opposition in KHADC Titos Chyne had said that reorganising of constituencies does not mean that the tenure of the current house would be extended.
