Lamdibok Sumer (sitting) with other members of the district council in Shillong on Wednesday. Picture by UB Photos

Shillong, Sept. 14: The drama in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) reached its climax today when Congress members defied the party directive and elected Lamdibok Sumer the chief executive member.

Sumer received the backing of 16 of the 27 members of the Congress while his rival, Hambertus Nongtdu, who also had the blessings of the Meghalaya PCC to become the new chief executive member, had to remain content with being second in the race.

In today’s election, which was conducted by chairman Obil Kyndait, 29, members of the council were present in the 30-member House. The election was held following the withdrawal of the administrator’s rule which was promulgated since April 1 by the state cabinet last week.

Yesterday, the Meghalaya PCC had written to all the members supporting Sumer threatening them with “disciplinary action” if they abstain from supporting Nongtdu as the chief executive member. However, Sumer’s election clearly reflected the fact that the members openly rejected the party directive.

Speaking to The Telegraph following his election, a jubilant Sumer said, “Actually, it was the Meghalaya PCC leadership which did not uphold its own decisions. In June, the AICC had constituted a committee to look into the JHADC imbroglio and it recommended maintenance of status quo vis-à-vis the leadership in the council.”

This will be Sumer’s second innings as the chief executive member of the council. He had occupied the chair from November 2010 last till March.

A special committee, comprising all six Congress members of the Assembly from Jaintia Hills, Shillong Lok Sabha MP Vincent H. Pala and the president of the Jaintia Hills District Congress Committee, G. Sten, was also constituted to resolve the political stalemate.

The committee had recommended the maintenance of status quo thereby indicating that Sumer should be allowed to continue as JHADC chief.

However, on July 27, the Meghalaya PCC declared that Nongtdu would take over as the chief executive member as he had then enjoyed the support of 15 other Congress members.

Meghalaya PCC chief Friday Lyngdoh had said Nongtdu would be the leader of all 27 Congress members and not of a particular faction.

But later the equation cha-nged and Sumer earned support of 16 of the 27 members.

Sumer said he would be forwarding the list of executive members who would form the executive committee of the council to governor R.S. Mooshahary soon.

According to the rules, only nine more members can be accommodated into the executive committee.