Shillong: The National People’s Party tightened its grip on the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council this Wednesday. Three Trinamool Congress members jumped ship to join the ruling party. This move brings the NPP’s total strength in the council to 21 seats. It reshuffles the political deck ahead of both the council polls and the 2028 Assembly elections.
Cherak Watre Momin of Kharkutta, Alphonsush R Marak of Williamnagar, and Agassi R Marak of Balachanda officially joined the party at the Shillong office. They were joined by former Director of Mineral Resources Pius D Sangma. NPP national president and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma welcomed the new recruits alongside state president Prestone Tynsong.
Reforms in the council drove the defections. The members specifically pointed to the push for a separate electoral roll. Momin said, "Joining the ruling party would allow him to directly contribute to implementing long-standing demands he had pursued from the opposition benches." He aims to push for amendments to Rules 128 and 129, new service rules for council staff, and the digitization of land patta issuance.
Alphonsush R Marak cited the same electoral roll as his primary motivation. He claimed national parties ignored the issue for years. He will run for the council seat on an NPP ticket but plans to skip the 2028 Assembly race. Agassi R Marak also joined the fold. He noted the TMC struggled locally because people viewed it as a Bengali party. Agassi praised the council for mandating Scheduled Tribe certificates for candidates. He now faces a delicate power balance in Selsella against incumbent MLA Arbinstone Marak.
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