From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: With barely two months to the 2013 Assembly Elections in the State, another independent candidate from 34- Mawshynrut AC, Tonington Tyrsa of Mawmarin Village in West Khasi Hills District has announced his candidature.
Tonington a retired Gram Sevak of Maweit Circle is also a social activist, who had been playing a key role in the demand for better roads between Maweit and Nongstoin. After his stint as a Gram Sevak, he joined the coal trading business and also became the secretary of the union.
It was Tonongton who in 2008, urged and advised his fellow coal- traders to collectively repair the Maweit- Nongstoin road as the govt was never going to do so. In this regard he had also led a protest rally from Maweit to Nongstoin on July 28, 2008.
Tonington was also a youth leader during his days and worked actively for many years in Maweit.
Upon being asked as to why he had not joined any party, he replied that the rules and regulations of parties restricted him to work freely.
Earlier, Tonington was one of the instrumental leaders of Nassar Marwein who had contested in the 2009 MDC elections from Nongstoin.
Tonington’s father, Korthasingh Umiong was a dedicated Congressman who had worked tirelessly in the MDC elections in 2004 where he was able to secure the party with a comfortable win.
It may be mentioned that Mawshynrut so far has the most number of candidates in the upcoming polls. So far there are 12 candidates that have made their candidatures known to the people. If all them are successful in the scrutiny, a candidate would require just 4000 votes to win.
It may also be mentioned that Maweit was earlier a part of Nongstoin AC but after delimitation, Maweit went to the kitty of Mawshynrut AC.