The Governor did not indicate any definitive position during the meeting, according to Kharkrang. "The Governor has taken a neutral view and will consult legal experts and subsequently take up the decision," he said.A delegation of the Meghalaya unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party met Governor C H Vijayashankar at Lok Bhawan in Shillong on Friday, urging him to convene a special session of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) to amend its rules and mandate that all candidates contesting as Members of District Council from Garo Hills must possess a Scheduled Tribe certificate.
The delegation was led by Meghalaya BJP president Rikman G Momin and senior BJP legislator AL Hek, and came amid escalating tension and unrest in the Garo Hills region, particularly in Tura, over the controversy surrounding eligibility norms for the council elections.
Also Read: Curfew Relaxed in Violence-Hit Garo Hills; Authorities Maintain Vigil
BJP spokesperson M Kharkrang said the delegation apprised the Governor of the recent incidents in Garo Hills and urged immediate intervention through constitutional means.
"We have requested the Governor to convene a special session of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, whereby he is authorized by the Constitution, so that the issue of amending the rules can be taken up — that anyone who wants to contest as an MDC from Garo Hills should have a Scheduled Tribe certificate," Kharkrang said.
He added that the party urged the Governor to act at the earliest so that peace and normalcy could be restored across the region.
The Governor did not indicate any definitive position during the meeting, according to Kharkrang. "The Governor has taken a neutral view and will consult legal experts and subsequently take up the decision," he said.
Kharkrang also questioned why the controversial notification — which triggered the unrest after failing to withstand legal scrutiny — was issued on the eve of elections rather than being addressed much earlier.
"The way that the notification was issued and subsequently it didn't stand the legal scrutiny — these things could have been taken up earlier, but taking up just before elections raises a lot of questions," he said.
The BJP maintained that a special council session to amend the eligibility rules would bring legal clarity to the MDC candidature criteria and help restore lasting peace in Garo Hills.