Meghalaya: United Democratic Party to contest in all 29 Garo Hills Autonomous District Council seats

Shillong: Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) in Meghalaya today said they will put up candidates in all the 29 seats in the forthcoming election to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) scheduled to be held on October 9.

The decision was taken at a marathon five-hour meeting of the party's central executive committee here today. "We have decided to put up candidates in all the 29 seats in the upcoming election to the GHADC," Secretary in-charge Garo Hills region, Arun N Marak, told reporters after the meeting.

The decision will be finalised with the president in-charge of the UDP in Garo Hills, BG Momin, who could not make it to the meeting in view of a roadblock in Assam, he said.

Marak also said that the party has decided to revamp and strengthen the UDP in Garo Hills region. The elections to the GHADC was due in 2014 but was put on hold by the Congress-led government hoping that the council could accommodate former militant leaders and tribal chiefs among the members as per the agreement signed with the Ministry of Home Affairs.