Had Deborah been a better bet?
SHILLONG: Though the name of Congress Minister Zenith Sangma is doing the rounds as the potential candidate for Tura seat from Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, it was another Congress Minister Deborah Marak, who could reduce the margin of opponent Agatha Sangma in the last Lok Sabha polls and not Zenith, who was also defeated by Agatha in 2008 by election.
However, the name of Deborah, does not figure in the list of probables submitted to the AICC recently to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Tura.
In the by-election held in May, 2008 following the resignation of PA Sangma as MP after he was elected to the State Assembly, Agatha who contested for the first time defeated Zenith , the brother of Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma by a margin of 99,856 votes. Zenith was not a legislator then as he had lost in the Assembly elections in February 2008.
In fact when the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma contested against PA Sangma (TMC) in 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the former was defeated by a big margin of 72,763 votes.
Yet again in 2006 during the by election to Tura seat in the aftermath of the unrest following the firing incident related to restructuring of MBOSE, the Chief Minister had to taste defeat and the winning margin for Purn who returned to NCP, was over one lakh votes ( 1,01,176).
Whereas in the Lok Sabha polls held in 2009, Agatha, who contested and won against Congress candidate Deborah could get the winning margin of only 17,945 votes. Like Zenith, Deborah was an ex-Congress legislator then.
While Agatha secured 1,54,462 votes, Deborah got 1,36,523 votes. The candidate of Achik National Congress (D) Boston Marak obtained 39,664 votes and Independent Arlene N Sangma secured 10,976 votes.
Sources said that if the party takes a decision to field Deborah again to take on Agatha, there are chances that the Congress will emerge victorious in 2014 polls considering PA Sangma led NPP’s poor performance in the 2013 Assembly elections.
Moreover, compared to 2009, Deborah is a Cabinet Minister and the Congress has more influence among the voters than PA Sangma’s NPP in Garo Hills.
Losing margin
Deborah Marak (2009): 17,945 votes
Zenith Sangma (2008): 99,856 votes
Mukul Sangma(2004): 72,763 votes
Mukul Sangma (2006): 1,01,176 votes