Is the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) planning to delay the date of MDC elections slated for next year?
This question arose as 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.
The committee was constituted 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.
However, it is unclear if the KHADC elections will be deferred in view of the ongoing delimitation process.
The term of the present House will expire on March 5, 2024 and as such the elections have to be held by February 2024.
In the last KHADC election held in 2018, the total number of voters is 86,7924. Mawlai constituency has the highest number of voters at 45,466 followed by Nongstoin constituency at 39,585 and Mairang-Nongkhlaw constituency at 39,554.
Laban-Mawprem constituency has the least number of voters with just 12,953.
