The Meghalaya Cabinet on Monday approved a six-month extension of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), citing law and order concerns and an ongoing dispute over the participation of non-tribal candidates in council elections.
The extension takes effect from April 18, 2026, and runs through October 18, 2026.
The decision came after elections to the council, originally scheduled for April 10, were postponed following unrest in the Garo Hills region.
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Deputy Chief Minister and District Council Affairs Minister Prestone Tynsong briefed reporters after the meeting, saying the extension was the only item on the Cabinet's agenda.
"After deliberations and discussion on all the details, the Cabinet has decided to extend the term of the present House of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council for a period of six months, with effect from 18 April 2026 up to 18 October 2026," Tynsong said.
The unrest that prompted the election postponement was rooted in public opposition to non-tribals being allowed to contest GHADC polls — a question that remains unresolved and will now be taken up by the council's new leadership.
Monday also brought a significant shift inside the council itself.
Albinush R. Marak resigned as Chief Executive Member (CEM) in the morning, setting off a quick reorganization. By the afternoon, Dhormonath Ch. Sangma, the MDC from 21-Naguapara constituency, was elected as the new CEM.
"I am happy to inform you that in the afternoon the MDC from 21-Naguapara, Dhormonath Ch. Sangma, was elected as the new Chief Executive Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council," Tynsong confirmed.
With the new Executive Committee now in place, Tynsong said the government was leaving it to the council's fresh leadership to find a workable resolution on the tribal eligibility issue.
"We now leave it to the wisdom of the new Executive Committee to take a call on the issue of Scheduled Tribe status and on the issue of contesting elections by both tribal and non-tribal candidates," he said.
He added that Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma would chair discussions at the government level, while the new CEM would lead parallel consultations — with the aim of finding a solution acceptable to all stakeholders.
"We would ultimately like to carry everybody along and meet the aspirations of the people," Tynsong said.
On the law and order front, Tynsong confirmed that at least 27–28 arrests had already been made across the Garo Hills region in connection with recent violence, and that police investigations were ongoing.
"Some more people may have to be arrested. We leave it to the wisdom of the police officials to ensure that such incidents do not recur," he said, adding that arrests were not limited to West Garo Hills but extended across the entire region.
Tynsong described the Cabinet's decision as a "landmark" one and said the six-month window would give the government and the new council leadership enough time to address community concerns — and carry out any necessary amendments.
"The decision that we took today should make all residents of Garo Hills happy," he said.