GUWAHATI
A minor tribe in Assam has decided to participate in the elections to an autonomous council named after another tribe for the first time in 10 years.
Dominant in the western half of Meghalaya, the Garos number about 10 lakh in Assam. They are concentrated in the Goalpara and Kamrup districts.
On Wednesday (March 26, 2025), the Garo National Council (GNC) and its affiliates resolved to participate in the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) elections on April 2, 2025.
GNC president Enindra Marak said the community leaders reassessed the situation after boycotting two successive elections to the RHAC to press for a separate Garo Autonomous Council, which would better serve the Garos.
“The RHAC’s developmental schemes benefit multiple communities, including the Garos, making it essential for us to elect representatives who will advocate for their interests and ensure progress in Garo-dominated villages,” he said.
“Despite this renewed electoral participation, the demand for a separate Garo Autonomous Council remains firm. The formation of such a council is a legitimate aspiration,” Mr. Marak said.
The RHAC has 40 seats, four of which are for nominated members. In the last election held in 2019, the Rabha Hasong Joutha Mancha (RHJM) won 33 of the 36 seats where elections were held, while the allies BJP and the Asom Gana Parishad bagged one each. The Congress had to be content with one seat.
The RHJM and the BJP are contesting the April 2, 2025, polls together again. The former contests 30 seats, and the latter six.
According to the State Election Commission, 4,45,586 voters – 2,16,181 men, 2,29,394 women, and 11 others – are expected to exercise their franchise at 630 polling stations across the RHAC.
Of the 36 constituencies, 25 are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, six seats for women, and 11 are unreserved. The votes would be counted on April 4, 2025.
