Shillong, Feb : The Opposition Congress faced a humiliating defeat in the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), the results of which were declared today.

While the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured absolute majority with 19 seats out of the total seats of 29, the Congress could manage just five seats.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) secured two seats, Independents two and the newly formed Achik National Congress one.

Sources in the NCP claimed that its triumph was indicative of the faith, the people have on the party.

They said the favourable outcome in the GHADC poll would help the party register an easy win in the Lok Sabha elections.

In a way, the outcome favoured the ruling Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) as in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, the MPA partners have decided to form the executive committee.

After the win in the GHADC elections, the NCP, which is an MPA partner, will form the council’s executive committee. Only in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, the Congress will be forming the executive committee.

The P.A. Sangma-led NCP was jubilant after the record results the party achieved, ousting the Congress from power in GHADC.

“Though we got only six seats in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills, the massive victory of the NCP in Garo Hills shows that we have established our stronghold in Garo Hills. The victory also indicates that people have bestowed confidence in a government led by the NCP,” Tura member of Parliament from the NCP, Agatha Sangma, said.

The Congress could not secure a single seat in the entire East and South Garo Hills districts.

While the NCP secured all the five seats in South Garo Hills, it also bagged six seats in East Garo Hills, but the remaining seat went to the UDP.

The Congress could prevail only in West Garo Hills and that too by securing just five seats.