SHILLONG: After a long wait of more than a month, the fate of eight candidates who contested Shillong Lok Sabha seat and two from Tura will be decided on Friday.
The counting of votes will start at 8 am and the results will be known by noon.
While Vincent H Pala (Congress), Paul Lyngdoh (UDP), Shibun Lyngdoh (BJP), Amerington Kharshiing (AAP), Richard Shabong (CPI) and Independents Rev.PBM Basaiawmoit,Denis Siangshai and Ivoryna Shylla were engaged in the battle for Shillong seat, for Tura, PA Sangma (NPP) and Daryl William Cheran Momin (Congress) locked horns.
Besides Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Congress legislators and independents who are supporting the MUA government, NPP leader Purno Sangma, his party men and supporters are camping in Tura.
Soon after the polls held on April 9 for the two seats in the state, there were speculations and analysis of on the possible outcome of the polls.
Many of the state Congress leaders had predicted that their candidate for Shillong seat Vincent Pala may not win the election and indicated that the verdict may be favourable to Independent candidate Rev.PBM Basaiawmoit supported by HSPDP and KHNAM.
Many Congress legislators and party leaders did not render their active support to Pala during the campaign due to his alleged interference in Assembly elections in 2013. Sensing trouble, the AICC had asked the rank and file of the party to work for the party candidate for Shillong seat.
Some State Congress leaders who had opposed the candidature of Pala went to the extent of even sending a report to the High Command that Pala would not retain the Shillong seat.
Though NPP is confident that its candidate PA Sangma will secure the Tura seat, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma who had aggressively campaigned for Daryl Momin recently said that the Congress was poised to win the seat which was held by P A Sangma and subsequently by her daughter Agatha Sangma for a long time.
For the beleaguered Congress, wining every seat is crucial in the context of the poor performance for the party predicted in exit polls.