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Politics in Meghalaya has at all times been outlined by deep ethnic, sub-national and interpersonal fault strains. The state includes three distinct hill areas identified after dominant indigenous communities — the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos. The state, which got here into existence in 1972, has 29 meeting seats within the Khasi Hills, seven within the Jaintia Hills and 24 in Garo Hills. There are some frequent strands between the Khasis and the Jaintias, however the Garos are ethnically and linguistically completely different. Even throughout the British rule, indigenous tribes loved appreciable autonomy beneath their very own conventional social and political establishments. However towards their needs, on the eve of Independence, the hills have been made a part of the composite state of Assam. Not happy with the autonomy assured to them, the hill teams fought for a separate state. Initially, the All Occasion Hill Leaders’ Convention (APHLC), which fought for the separate state, loved the assist of all three communities. However after the formation of Meghalaya, ethnic and sub-regional variations asserted once more, and augmented by elite competitors for energy, state politics grew to become fragmented and unpredictable since 1976. Solely the Congress had a presence in all three areas, and ethnic and regional events have been confined to specific areas. No non-Congress chief minister (CM) may full a full time period.
The 2023 outcomes, although, might mark a break. Conrad Sangma not solely grew to become the primary non-Congress CM to finish his five-year time period however can be tipped to return to energy. His Nationwide Folks’s Occasion (NPP) managed to broaden its base from its conventional stronghold of the Garo Hills to realize a toehold within the different two areas. That it may accomplish that regardless of a messy break-up of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) weeks earlier than the polls, and a volley of corruption costs hurled at him, is phenomenal.
The election season had begun with pollsters predicting an in depth contest between Conrad Sangma and his rival, former CM Mukul Sangma, who left the Congress and joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021. The transfer little doubt marginalised the Congress, but it surely didn’t assist Mukul Sangma or his new discovered social gathering. The TMC ended up with simply 5 seats — 4 from the Garo Hills and one from the Khasi Hills. The Congress, which misplaced all its stalwarts to different events, was by no means within the race, and its electoral distress was exemplified by Santa Mary Shylla, a little-known NPP candidate, defeating Vincent Pala, the state chief and sitting Member of Parliament from Shillong, in Sutnga-Saipung. The large beneficiary of this fractious battle within the Garo Hills seemed to be the United Democratic Occasion, as soon as part of the MDA, which quietly consolidated its base within the Khasi Hills and received 10 seats. The BJP ended up with two.
In a state the place ethnicity, sub-nationalism and personality-based politics dominate, capturing the assist of all three hill areas is troublesome. The NPP ensured that its conventional base remained intact and the anti-incumbency vote is split between a raft of events. Within the marketing campaign, Conrad Sangma used his optimistic picture as a younger, educated and amiable chief to distinction his persona from that of his counterparts — particularly the extra belligerent Mukul Sangma. A few of the improvement and welfare initiatives he initiated have been additionally in style. He knew he had a bonus within the Garo Hills, his conventional bastion. However he additionally picked off leaders in Khasi and Jaintia Hills from the Congress and regional outfits — an astute transfer in a society the place social gathering ideologies and affiliations typically pale within the face of interpersonal and group relations. Leaders, subsequently, have to be regionally entrenched.
The ultimate tally exhibits the NPP is inside placing distance of forming the federal government, and Conrad Sangma is ready to affix fingers with the BJP and native outfits. He’ll nonetheless face challenges. He can’t escape the costs of corruption and inefficiency. Some sections proceed to oppose the Assam-Meghalaya border settlement he signed. Some proceed to accuse him not being energetic sufficient throughout the tragedy at Mukroh village final 12 months. And the rise of recent outfits such because the Voice of Folks’s Occasion within the Khasi-Jaintia areas present that sections of the persons are dissatisfied with the political mainstream.
However in increasing the affect of 1 social gathering throughout all three areas of the state for the primary time in a era, and successful again energy, Conrad Sangma has completed what even his illustrious father, former speaker PA Sangma, couldn’t obtain.
H Srikanth is professor, division of political science, Northeastern Hill College, Shillong The views expressed are private
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