SHILLONG: BJP MLA AL Hek has announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has, so far, decided to field candidates in 19 out of the 29 seats in the upcoming Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections scheduled for April 10, 2026.
“This is the first list,” Hek said, indicating that more announcements could follow.
Reacting to a recent notification disallowing individuals without a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate from contesting the GHADC elections, BJP Meghalaya spokesperson M Kharkrang said the party has not yet taken a position on the matter.
“Earlier, they were allowed. But now this notification has come up. From the party side, we have not decided anything on whether we should support it or not. The notification has just been issued, and it is too early for us to comment,” Kharkrang stated.
On being asked about the BJP’s vote share in the state, Kharkrang said that although the party secured only two seats in previous elections, its overall vote share has increased steadily over time.
“If you look at the votes polled in the last many elections, our vote share has actually grown. We also contested the MP elections and have expanded further. You can see that we are growing by the day,” he said.
When questioned whether he would urge the party leadership to field a BJP candidate in the upcoming MP by-polls, Kharkrang responded affirmatively.
“Of course, yes. Our party leaders would prefer to have our own candidates in the electoral race,” he said.
With the GHADC elections approaching and discussions underway regarding the MP by-election, the BJP Meghalaya unit appears to be positioning itself for a more assertive electoral presence in the state.
