District Council of Meghalaya

Each autonomous Meghalaya District Council are one of the most significant features of the state's legislature. They were brought about by the sixth schedule of the constitution. There are three autonomous district councils in Meghalaya:

The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council

The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council

The autonomous district councils are devoted to safeguard the rights, traditions, practices, cultures and laws of each region. Thus each District Council at Meghalaya has its own counterpart of the legislature, executive and judiciary that are in-keeping with the customs and traditions of each area.

Location of the Autonomous District Councils of Meghalaya

The Garo Hills and the Jaintia Hills autonomous District Council in Meghalaya are located on the mountains of the eastern side of the state. The Garo Hills are on the Western side of the state. The Garo hills are made up of 22 constituencies and Jaintia Hills have 29 constituencies.

The Elections of the District Councils of Meghalaya

The elections of each District Council of Meghalaya are intensely competed by the political parties of the state. The national parties take a keen interest in the District Council elections. Indian National Congress have a prominent presence in Meghalaya District Council elections. However, the state level parties, which fail to make much of a mark in the state assembly elections, often fare quite well in these elections. The results of the District Council elections are often clear indicators to the political atmosphere of the state and are considered to be previews to the assembly and parliamentary election results. The improvement in the performance of the Garo National Council in the Garo Hills District Council elections of 2004 is a clear indication to the increasing popularity of the state level political parties in the state and also the bright future of the party in the state.