Shillong, Sept 30: For the first time, only indigenous tribals will now be eligible to cast vote in the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) as the Governor CH Vijayshankar has given his crucial nod to an amendment to the existing rules.
The government on Wednesday notified the GHADC (Second Amendment) Rules following the Governor’s approval on September 29. The proposal for amendment was passed by the GHADC in August this year.
The notification brings into effect amendments to the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951.
Under the amended framework, Rule 8 makes Scheduled Tribe status a mandatory qualification for contesting GHADC elections.
Rule 128 prescribes ST criterion for voters while and Rule 129 provides for preparation of a separate electoral roll for the Council — doing away with the practice of using the Assembly electoral roll.
The amendment explicitly inserts that a candidate must be a member of a Scheduled Tribe specified in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, in relation to the State of Meghalaya.
Also, the minimum age for enrolment as a voter for the GHADC elections has been lowered from 21 years to 18 years.
The words “not below the age of twenty-one” have now been replaced with “not below the age of eighteen years on the qualifying date.”
Under the amended Rule 129, there shall be a separate electoral roll for every constituency under GHADC, to be prepared by the Returning Officer as per qualifications laid down in Rule 128.
The move was set in motion after the GHADC passed the amendment bill on August 10, after getting the Governor’s approval on August 6 to introduce it in the House. An earlier amendment to Rule 8 was passed by the Council on March 23 this year.
The amendments follow the Meghalaya High Court striking down an earlier executive notification of the GHADC that had sought to make ST certificate mandatory for candidates, on the ground that it has to be done through the rule-making process.
The new Rules have come into force immediately and will apply to the entire Garo Hills Autonomous District, the Gazette notification said.
The Council had in May 2025 formed a committee to examine election provisions and creation of a separate roll.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting indigenous rights, stating that governance and policymaking must remain accountable to the communities they are meant to serve.
With the term of the current GHADC extended till October 18 after polls due in April 2026 were postponed due to unrest in Garo Hills, the preparation of the new separate roll will now decide the timeline for the next council election.
