In a significant development, C. H. Vijayashankar on Tuesday approved amended rules making it mandatory for candidates to possess a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate to contest in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections. The move comes in the wake of unrest and political tensions that had forced the postponement of the polls earlier this month.
The approval follows sustained pressure from groups seeking stronger safeguards for tribal representation in the region. It also comes just a day after the new Executive Committee of the GHADC amended its rules, effectively restricting election candidacy to tribal contestants for the first time since the council’s inception in 1952.
Welcoming the decision, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said, “I would like to thank the Hon’ble Governor for approving the amended rules, making it mandatory for candidates to have an ST certificate to contest in the GHADC elections.”
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who oversees District Council Affairs, indicated that the next crucial step would be revisiting the electoral rolls. This follows the amendment of Rule 8, which now explicitly restricts electoral rolls to “Only Scheduled Tribes,” aligning the GHADC with the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Councils.
“We are very thankful to the Honourable Governor… Now that the amendment is in place, the next step is to work out how to revisit the electoral rolls,” Tynsong said. He added that detailed meetings would be held and instructions issued to ensure implementation, with the aim of bringing uniformity across all autonomous district councils. The government is also expected to formally communicate with the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills councils to ensure similar practices are adopted where necessary.
The latest move follows a turbulent period in the Garo Hills. What was meant to be a routine democratic exercise for the GHADC elections, originally scheduled for April 10, quickly spiralled into a major political and social crisis. The core of the conflict lay in the contentious question of whether non-tribals should be allowed to contest and participate in the elections.
Tensions escalated sharply after a notification issued on February 17, 2026, by the GHADC Executive Committee mandated that all candidates must possess an ST certificate. While some groups defended the move as necessary to protect indigenous rights, non-tribal communities viewed it as an unconstitutional exclusion from a political process they had historically participated in.
The situation took a violent turn, with unrest spreading across the plain belt areas of Garo Hills, particularly in regions with significant non-tribal populations, including Bengali Muslims. The violence claimed two lives and led to widespread clashes, prompting the state government to postpone the elections indefinitely on March 11. A heavy security deployment followed, including personnel from the CRPF, Assam Police, the Army and Meghalaya Police.
Even before the legal battle reached its peak, tensions had already spilled onto the streets. On March 9, Esmatur Mominin, a Bengali Muslim Trinamool Congress leader and former MLA from Phulbari, faced strong opposition when he arrived in Tura to file his nomination. That same night, clashes broke out in Chibinang, near his residence, further escalating the situation.
On March 10, the Meghalaya High Court quashed the February 17 order. Justice Hamarsan Thangkhiew ruled that the Executive Committee had bypassed mandatory legislative procedures, including approval from the full District Council and the assent of the Governor.
To understand the depth of the conflict, it is important to look at the unique history of the GHADC. Unlike the Khasi and Jaintia Hills councils, the GHADC has, since its inception in 1952, allowed non-tribals to both vote and contest elections. Non-tribal residents living in the region for over 12 years were eligible to vote, and candidates from communities such as Bengali-speaking Muslims have historically contested from constituencies like Phulbari, Rajabala and Mahendraganj.
For many tribal organisations, restricting participation to Scheduled Tribes has long been seen as necessary to safeguard indigenous political rights. However, for non-tribal communities, the move represents a break from decades of established electoral practice.
Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma described the developments as “deeply disturbing” and called for immediate dialogue between stakeholders. He also urged the government to institute an independent commission of inquiry into the violence, stressing the need for accountability and due process to restore public confidence.
In a petition to the Governor, Sangma flagged a “serious law and order situation” in Garo Hills, linking it to the sequence of events surrounding the elections, including demands by civil society groups, the executive notification, and political mobilisation in sensitive areas like Phulbari.
Adding to the debate, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit emphasised the importance of safeguarding tribal rights and ensuring that constitutional protections are upheld.
For now, Garo Hills remains in a tense stalemate. While the latest amendment has brought legal clarity to the question of candidacy, deeper social divisions persist. The challenge before the government is no longer limited to holding elections—it lies in rebuilding trust and navigating a path forward in a region where identity, law and politics have collided sharply.
