Shillong: Meghalaya Congress leaders are blasting the state government for grabbing credit for the new GHADC electoral rules. The party claims the win belongs to NGOs and activists, not the ruling National People’s Party. Tura MP Saleng A. Sangma says years of public pressure forced the state's hand.
Groups like the Garo Students’ Union and FKJGP led the fight. They faced arrests and even lost lives during the protests. Sangma slammed the NPP for taking ownership of the change. He questioned the government's sincerity during the conflict. “If the government was so concerned for the people of the Garo Hills district, do you think this revolution needed to have taken place?” he asked.
The GHADC (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026, recently gained Governor’s assent. These rules create a separate electoral roll for every constituency. Only Scheduled Tribes in Meghalaya can vote or run for office under the new law. The NPP calls this a landmark success under Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. They use the slogan “A Promise Made, A Promise Fulfilled” to market the reform.
Sangma rejected this narrative. He argued the authorities only acted because protestors made it impossible to ignore them. He thanked the youth and civil society for protecting indigenous rights and Sixth Schedule safeguards. The Congress insists the movement, not the administration, secured these political protections.
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