Shillong, February 16 The Meghalaya government announced on Monday the election to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) on April 10, with vote counting scheduled for April 14.
The GHADC is one of the three autonomous tribal councils in Meghalaya, established under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The announcement was made by Minister Wailadmiki Shylla after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
"The date for polling has been fixed on April 10, while the date for counting is on April 14," Shylla told reporters.
The minister said that the gazette notification for the elections will be issued on March 9, while the last date for filing nominations has been fixed as March 16.
Scrutiny of nominations will be held on the same day after 3 pm, and candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until March 17.
The finalization and publication of valid nominations, along with the allocation of election symbols, will be carried out on March 18.
Officials said that preparations are underway to ensure smooth conduct of the polls, with arrangements being made in coordination with district authorities and law enforcement agencies.
The GHADC elections are expected to witness a keen political contest, as the opposition TMC is also likely to field candidates in most constituencies.
Meanwhile, the ruling National People's Party (NPP) announced a list of 24 candidates, denying a ticket to the incumbent chief executive member of the council, signaling a significant reshuffle within the party ahead of the polls.