♒The opposition Voice of the People's Party (VPP), which has been campaigning against corruption, on Monday unseated the ruling National People's Party (NPP) from power in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in Meghalaya, officials said.
𒅌VPP also secured the second-highest number of seats in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).
🧔Elections to the tribal councils were held last week and the results were announced on Monday.
ꦓLed by its vocal leader Ardent Basaiawmoit, the VPP secured 17 of the 29 seats in the KHADC. The NPP won only four seats, the United Democratic Party five and the Hill State People's Democratic Party one. Two Independents were also elected.
ꦫThe VPP also won eight of the 29 seats in the JHADC, becoming the second-largest party in the council after the NPP which bagged 13 seats.
The UDP and the Congress 𒆙managed to win three seats each, while two Independents also emerged victorious.
💞The BJP, which is an ally of the ruling NPP, drew a blank despite contesting 17 seats in the KHADC and 14 in the JHADC.
🌊The Congress drew a blank in the KHADC, the first instance of the national party not winning a single seat in the tribal council.
൩More than 70 per cent of the over 3 lakh voters in JHADC exercised their franchise while nearly 60 per cent of the 9.9 lakh eligible voters participated in the KHADC elections in which a total of 272 candidates, including 12 women contested.
