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Assembly bypolls in Meghalaya today, cakewalk for CM Conrad Sangma predicted
Son of former chief minister Purno Sangma, Conrad Sangma became the chief minister on March 6 with the support of regional parties and the BJP.
The stage is set for simultaneous by-polls to two legislative assembly constituencies in Meghalaya on Thursday even as chief minister Conrad Kongkal Sangma is expected to win handsomely.
In both constituencies, four candidates will be seeking the mandate of the people. Results will be announced on August 27 and perhaps this will bring to an end a long electoral process that first took place on February 27 this year.
The by-polls were necessitated after elected South Tura legislator and former Union minister of state Agatha Sangma vacated the seat on July 2 to make way for elder brother Conrad K Sangma who though unelected was chosen to lead the coalition Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government as chief minister. Presently he is a Lok Sabha MP representing Tura parliamentary constituency.
In the case of Ranikor, the seat became vacant after five-time sitting Congress legislator Martin M Danggo resigned and quit the Congress on June 21 to join the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) on July 25. Danggo severed his long-standing ties with the Congress after the MDA government accorded civil sub-division status to Ranikor which according to him was a “long pending demand” of his people.
51-South Tura legislative assembly constituency with 30,231 voters, including 14,846 males, 15,351 females, 33 service voters and one NRI in 36 polling stations, will witness four candidates contesting. These include chief minister Conrad K Sangma of the NPP, Congress’ Charlotte W Momin, an educationist and retired principal of Tura government school, and two independents — former legislator John Leslee Sangma and Chris Kabul A Sangma.
35-Ranikor constituency in South West Khasi Hills District with 29,685 voters, including 15,183 males, 14,487 females and 15 service voters in 65 polling stations, will also witness a four-way contest. These include Martin M Danggo of the NPP, Jackiush Sangma from the Congress, United Democratic Party’s Pius Marweiñ and sitting KHADC chief executive member PN Syiem of the People’s Democratic front.
The grapevine says that while Conrad K Sangma is all set to win by a very comfortable margin, Danggo could face stiff challenge from UDP’s Pius Marweiñ who he narrowly defeated in the February 27 polls this year.
According to the state election authorities, everything is in place and poll personnel and infrastructure are in their designated locations. “For Ranikor which is a remote area that also shares an international border with Bangladesh, teams to 31 polling stations were moved on Tuesday itself,” state chief electoral officer (CEO) Frederick Roy Kharkongor told HT. Polling will commence at 7am and close at 5pm.
Security has also been beefed up for the exercise with eight companies of central armed police force being pressed into service for each constituency. These include three from the BSF, three from ITBP and two from CRPF. The CEO further revealed that all three BSF companies will be exclusively deployed for the Ranikor by-poll due to its proximity with Bangladesh. He also said that only the two CRPF companies will be retained after polling to guard the strong rooms as well as assist local police on the day of counting which is August 27.
