With the KHADC and JHADC elections fast approaching, several sitting MDCs of the KHADC have decided not to seek another mandate from the people in the district council.
For some, like veterans Martle N Mukhim and Bindo Lanong, the sun may be setting on their political careers and no one can begrudge them if they decide to hang up their boots.
But there are several dual MLA-MDCs who have decided not to contest the KHADC election this time around, such as Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin MLA-MDC), Ronnie V Lyngdoh (Mylliem MLA-MDC), Charles Marngar (Jirang MLA-MDC)
Paul Lyngdoh is the most prominent among them. The sitting Jaiaw MDC is also the MLA for West Shillong. His case is interesting because the last 12 years or so have seen his fortunes rise and fall.
Before the Assembly election in 2013 he was a cabinet minister as the UDP were in an alliance with the Congress. That election, however, saw him lose that cabinet berth as the UDP ended up in opposition. He was then rather embarrassed in the following year’s Lok Sabha election where he polled dismally. Things got worse in 2018 when he lost his West Shillong Assembly seat but it was not possible to keep the fighter in him down for long, as he made his way back to Jaiaw to be elected as MDC there in 2019.
But four years later he won West Shillong and was elevated to the cabinet. Now, he has chosen to step aside in the KHADC.
Although his motives are unknown, for too many politicians the district councils are either a stepping stone to get into the Assembly or a consolation prize for those who failed to make it in the state legislature.
The councils deserve better, the people deserve better. The ADCs were created to protect the indigenous tribal people of Meghalaya while it was still part of undivided Assam. With Meghalaya carved out for these tribes, there is an argument that the ADCs should be abolished. The qualities of the MDCs are another argument in favour of scrapping the councils. By and large, they appear to be more interested in serving themselves than anyone else. The finances of the councils are a mess and they lack things like a set process for recruitment that, in the 21st century, there is no excuse not to have.
There is certainly plenty of overlap between the state government and the councils and the former has so much more power than the latter that it is perhaps not so surprising that so many MDCs would rather be sitting in the Assembly. But all this only makes the case for scrapping the KHADC, JHADC and GHADC stronger.
