Nomination process begins for GHADC polls

The process of filing of nominations for the next month’s Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections in Meghalaya began on March 7 with the issuance of notification for the polls, an official said on Sunday.
Elections to the GHADC in the National People’s Party (NPP)-ruled State will be held on April 10, and the counting of votes will take place on April 14.
The GHADC has 30 constituencies. Elections are held in 29 seats, while the State Governor nominates a member. According to the notification issued by District Magistrate of West Garo Hills, Vibhor Aggarwal, the filing of nomination papers under Rule 124(2) of the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951, will commence on March 9 and continue until March 16.
Unlike in the previous GHADC elections, candidates aspiring to contest the council polls must produce a valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate recognised by Meghalaya government when filing their nomination papers.
In its meeting held on February 9, 2026, the outgoing Executive Committee of the GHADC led by NPP, resolved that only individuals with demonstrable ST status are eligible to contest elections to the Council.
“The resolution was taken in the context of safeguarding customary laws, traditions, and the socio-political identity of the indigenous tribal communities of the Garo Hills,” a GAD official had said.
While indigenous Garo civil society groups have defended the GHADC’s February 17 notification, which makes it mandatory for all candidates to possess a ST certificate. Non-tribal leaders have criticised the notification as an unconstitutional move to deprive them of their rights.
Dr. Mizanur Rahman Kazi, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, petitioned State Governor Chandrashekhar H. Vijyayashankar requesting him to issue a formal declaration that the February 17 notification is unconstitutional; directions to the Department of District Council Affairs to enforce compliance with the Constitution and the 1951 Rules for the April 10 GHADC elections.
Kazi also requested the Governor to issue instructions to returning officers and other election authorities not to act on the GHADC notification when receiving nominations filed by non-tribal candidates in order to safeguard constitutional rights, democratic participation, and the rule of law.
However, the All A’chik Youth Federation (AAYF) president, Salsam Marak argued that Garo Hills region in western part of Meghalaya falls under Article 244(2) of the Constitution and that the GHADC, established in 1952, was created to safeguard the rights, culture and identity of the Garo tribal community.
“We have urged authorities to disqualify non-tribal candidates and prevent non-tribal voters from participating in the GHADC elections. The GHADC is meant exclusively for the protection of tribal interests under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” Marak justified.
The AAYF clarified that it is not opposed to non-tribal participation in State Assembly or Parliamentary elections, noting that those institutions operate under a different constitutional framework.
Meanwhile, a division bench of Meghalaya High Court comprising of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura will hear a PIL
filed by Niksrang Ch Marak against the participation of non-tribals in GHADC elections on March 9.
On the other hand, the District Magistrate of West Garo Hills, Vibhor Aggarwal, has imposed prohibitory measures under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 in Tura to ensure the peaceful filing of nomination papers for the upcoming Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections, 2026.