Shillong, July 13: Senior most member of the ​​Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), H.S. Shylla was elected as the new chief executive member (CEM) of the Council after his rival candidate, Grace Mary Kharpuri failed to show up for the election.
However, Shylla’s election was challenged through a petition filed in the Meghalaya High Court on Friday.
Sources said that the High Court has ordered the Meghalaya government, ​ ​Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, and the Protem chairperson to file reply within one week.​ ​
Shylla, is the member of the National People’s Party (NPP) from Nongkrem constituency. This is the second time that Shylla was elected to the post CEM of the KHADC. Earlier he held the CEM post from July 28, 2004 to February 5, 2008, was elected to the post for the second time on Friday. Shylla is the senior most member of the Council who was first elected as MDC in 1984.
The election was fixed at 11 am, but Kharpuri, the member from Nongskhen constituency, did not turn up which compelled Protem Chairperson, Teilinia Thangkhiew to declare Shylla’s name as the new CEM of the Council.
While members of the coalition, Khasi Hills Democratic Alliance supported the candidature of Shylla, Kharpuri was fielded by members of another coalition, the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA), including Congress members.
While 16 members including Thangkhiew were present in the House, the MDC from Jaïaw, Adelbert Nongrum however came to the Council after Shylla was declared elected to the CEM post.
The Governor, Ganga Prasad appointed Thangkhiew as the Protem Chairperson after the chairman of the Council, L.G. Nongsiej resigned from the post on Thursday.
The election to the CEM post was to be held on Thursday at 2 pm, but it was postponed to Friday 11 am after Nongsiej quit the Chairman post few hours before the election.
​Member of the KHADC have to elect a new CEM after P.N. Syiem resigned as CEM on Tuesday.​
Other members including Thangkhiew congratulated Shylla on his election to the post for the second time.
Shylla also thanked all the members who supported him, and assured that he would work together in streamlining the system of functioning in the KHADC.
Shylla said that though his rival candidate (Kharpuri) was supposed to come to the House to face the election, but some members who were supporting Kharpuri’s candidature did not want her to come, since they feared that if Kharpuri got elected as CEM, she would hand over to the CBI to probe into the misappropriation of Rs 28 crore of the council fund from Rs 32 crore crore. The fund was given by the Central government to the Council. Former CEM, P.N. Syiem was alleged of misusing the Council fund.
Meanwhile People’s Democratic Front leader, James Ban Basaiawmoit filed a petition in the Meghalaya High Court challenging the validity of the election conducted by Thangkhiew.
The Meghalaya government, KHADC and office of the Protem chairperson of the KHADC was made parties to the case.
Kharpuri told reporters that she did not participate in the election to the CEM post since the election was not guided by rules.
Kharpuri also alleged most of the members received the notice for the CEM election only at 8 am on Friday, while some received in the wee hours at 1 am, and 3 am.
She also said that fresh filing of nominations should be called for the election of CEM since nomination papers of the candidates filed earlier have become invalid, since the election was not conducted on Thursday.