Shillong, Oct. 18: The results of the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has produced a fractured mandate with no political entity securing a majority.

Results in the 29 constituencies under the GHADC were declared on Thursday with Purno Agitok Sangma's National People's Party (NPP) securing 10 seats, the highest among the contenders.

However, the fractured mandate has raised questions on the stability of the executive committee, which has to be formed soon.

The NPP looks set to lead the executive committee, as the party has received support from the BJP, Garo National Council (GNC) and a few Independents.

The NPP and its partners have formed the Garo Hills Progressive Alliance (GHPA) with 17 members.

Meghalaya has three autonomous district councils - Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) and Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) - created under the Sixth Schedule.

However, the doubt over the longevity of any executive committee to lead the GHADC or any other autonomous district council in Meghalaya lies in the absence of a law barring elected members to jump ship.

The autonomous district councils here literally provide "autonomy" to its members in the absence of an anti-defection law.

Time and again, political leaders have been asking for the promulgation of an anti-defection law in line with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which bars elected members of the Parliament and state legislatures to liberally alter their political jerseys.

The KHADC, for instance, has seen three chief executive members in a span of more than a year.

Some KHADC members, who were elected from political parties in the 2014 polls, have gone for a self-modification of the mandate given by the people by changing allegiance without fear, as there is no law, which stops them from doing so.

Speaking to The Telegraph, NPP working president Conrad K. Sangma, who is also a former minister in the state, said an amended Sixth Schedule should also have a provision for an anti-defection law.

To a query on whether the absence of an anti-defection law in district councils betrays the mandate given by the people on the elected members, Sangma said, "Yes, in principle it is true, and the anti-defection law should be implemented soon."?

In 2010, the United Democratic Party (UDP) wanted an amendment to the Tenth Schedule to include all autonomous district councils within its ambit.

Although the process of amending the Sixth Schedule by the Centre is reportedly on, it remains to be seen whether an anti-defection law is put in place to prohibit the elected members from making a mockery of the people's mandate.

Amid the spotlight that the KHADC and the GHADC have been receiving for several months now for varied reasons, social activist Michael N. Syiem had filed a PIL in Meghalaya High Court on September 30, challenging the relevance of autonomous district councils in Meghalaya.

"The district councils are relevant only when we were under Assam. If the district councils are still relevant, then their powers and functions should be clearly defined to avoid any clash between the two constitutional bodies - state government and district councils," Syiem had said.