Tura, Oct. 19: The 29 newly elected members of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) were administered oath by the deputy commissioner of West Garo Hills, Pravin Bakshi, at the council hall here today.
Security was beefed up at the council complex to ensure smooth conduct of the oath-taking ceremony.
Leader of National People's Party (NPP) led alliance - Garo Hills Progressive Alliance (GHPA) - Conrad Sangma, his mother Soradini K. Sangma, NPP legislator from Songsak Nihim D. Shira, among others, were present during the oath-taking ceremony.
However, the chief of NPP, Purno Agitok Sangma, did not turn up. No Congress bigwigs attended the ceremony either.
Of the 29 elected MDCs, Sadhiarani M. Sangma, wife of cabinet minister Zenith Sangma and sister-in-law of chief minister Mukul Sangma, is the lone woman candidate to take the oath today.
In the just concluded council election, NPP has won 10 seats, Congress and Independents seven each, Garo National Council (GNC) candidates three and the BJP one.
The election to the post of chairman will be held on October 21.
Five members of the district council - four Independents and an NCP member - today came together to float the Garo Hills United Alliance (GHUA). They are Rupert M. Sangma, Kenadik Marak, Devier Sangma, Levastone Sangma and the NCP MDC Righteous Marak.
The alliance was formed in a meeting held at Tura circuit house after the oath-taking ceremony.
The alliance has made it clear that it would work for welfare and protection of indigenous people of Garo hills.
In a release issued here, the alliance has urged like-minded parties and MDCs to join their platform to fulfil the aspirations of the Garo people.
Taking potshots at the NPP-led alliance, it questioned why the GNC has extended its support to them, when the party (NPP) had in its fold a non-tribal MDC.
They made an appeal, urging other tribal MDCs to respect the sentiments of the Garo people.
They also criticised the decision of the NPP-led alliance to choose Conrad Sangma, son of Purno Sangma, as leader although he has not been elected by the people.
"The NPP should have respected the mandate of the people and appointed an elected MDC to be the leader," the release said.
