TURA, Aug 18: Setting the political stage ablaze in the Garo Hills, BJP leader Bernard N. Marak has thrown down the gauntlet to the Conrad Sangma-led NPP, calling for its ouster from the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and demanding that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) hand over the Council’s reins to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In a hard-hitting appeal addressed to Assam Chief Minister and NEDA Chairman Himanta Biswa Sarma, Marak blasted the Meghalaya Government for “systemic failure” and a deliberate “betrayal” of the historic 2014 Garo Accord. He warned that the GHADC has been pushed to “financial collapse” and accused the NPP regime of stripping the Council of its core responsibilities.
“The Garo Accord, signed on 24th September 2014 in New Delhi, was a landmark agreement aimed at restoring the autonomy and functionality of ADCs in Meghalaya. Yet, despite its clear provisions, the State Government has persistently delayed the transfer of departments, withheld revenue shares, and undermined the Council’s ability to serve its people. The result has been a financial collapse, with GHADC employees left unpaid for 43 months and the Council stripped of its core responsibilities,” Marak wrote in his letter dated August 18.
Making a direct pitch for a BJP takeover, the firebrand GHADC member declared, “I now appeal to you to consider entrusting the administration of GHADC to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose commitment to constitutional governance and grassroots empowerment has been consistently demonstrated across the region.”
He further underlined, “The people of Garo Hills have placed their trust in BJP by voting for it for Good Governance, and it is only fitting that this trust be honoured through responsible leadership and meaningful reform. I urge you to initiate discussions within NEDA and direct the necessary steps to facilitate this transition.”
Marak’s frontal attack signals an open bid to topple NPP’s dominance over GHADC, painting BJP as the only party capable of implementing the Garo Accord “in letter and spirit, with accountability and transparency.” With his salvo, Bernard has ignited a fierce political contest, placing Himanta Biswa Sarma and NEDA at the heart of a high-stakes decision that could redraw the power balance in the Garo Hills.
