By Our Spl Correspondent
TURA:
After close to four weeks of protest by various pressure groups opposed to the election of Rakesh A Sangma as the Chief Executive Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, the ruling alliance headed by the NPP on Saturday evening selected MDC from Siju constituency of South Garo Hills, Albinush Marak, to be their new chief.
The move comes as protests escalated in Garo Hills and current CEM Rakesh A Sangma decided to resign on Friday.
“All our NPP MDCs, including our alliance partners, met this evening in Tura where the name of Siju MDC Albinush R Marak was unanimously decided upon,” an MDC told The Meghalayan.
The 46-year-old Albinush Marak is currently the Deputy Chairman of the GHADC, the second most important position of the legislative wing of the council. A first-time MDC from the remote Siju constituency in South Garo Hills, he defeated opposition Congress MDC from Rongrong (Resubelpara) Rinaldo K Sangma in the election to the post of Deputy Chairman, last September.
He entered the GHADC by defeating his nearest Independent candidate Rajeik M Marak from Siju in the council polls that took place in April 2021. The then sitting Congress MDC Kenedik S Marak came a poor third in the contest as the NPP juggernaut swept through despite a rejuvenated opposition Congress.
The Congress won 12 seats while NPP secured 11 in the elections to 29 constituency seats of GHADC. Support from three Independent MDCs, a BJP member and the lone GNC MDC bolstered the NPP alliance bringing in two time MDC from Raksamgre Benedic R Marak (NPP) as the new CEM.
However, controversy over the use of tied funds from the Centre and the subsequent cosying up to the opposition Trinamool cost Benedic his job as he was defeated in a no-confidence motion and subsequently even lost the election for new CEM to Rakesh A Sangma, NPP MDC from Babelapara constituency.
New CEM profile
Albinush R Marak is a local from the Siju region of South Garo Hills. He did his schooling and graduation from Don Bosco Tura before completing his Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) from Tura. He joined the United Kharkutta Government Secondary School as a teacher for several years before politics called him and he tasted success in his first attempt from Siju, last year.
Mukul Slams NPP
Earlier Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma accused the ruling NPP of being obsessed with money and power.
He was condemning the adamant attitude of the NPP leadership towards the growing demand to oust the incumbent Rakesh A Sangma.
His statement also came in the wake of massive protests by the people of Garo Hills along with NGOs.
Commenting on the situation, Mukul, who is also AITC North Eastern State Committee In-charge, said that the situation could have been avoided.
“The situation that unfolded in Garo Hills following installation of CM @ConradSangma’s brother-in-law Rakesh A Sangma as CEM, GHADC could have been avoided but for the party leadership’s obsession with power & money – money is the root cause of all evil,” the Leader of Opposition tweeted.