Wife of two former MLAs in fray for June 27 by-polls
SHILLONG: The by-election to the vacant Chokpot Assembly seat is likely to be a unique contest as the widows of two political leaders would be pitted against each other on June 27.
The by-poll was necessitated following the demise of Garo National Council (GNC) legislator Clifford Marak on February 28 this year.
While the NCP is planning to field Bluebell R. Sangma, widow of former legislator Mason Singh Sangma, who expired in September 2012, the GNC has announced the name of Kalpana Sangma, wife of late Clifford Marak, as its candidate from the Chokpot seat.
Bluebell had contested the Chokpot seat in the 2013 Assembly polls on an NCP ticket after the demise of her husband (Mason Singh Sangma), but it was GNC’s Clifford Marak who won the seat with a slender margin of 485 votes by defeating his next rival Phillipole D Marak of the NPP. Bluebell could manage only the fourth position from amongst five candidates.
The vote share of the candidates included Clifford (5,558), Phillipole (5,073), Arlene M.N. Sangma of the Congress (4,158), Bluebell (2,389) and Independent candidate Jonilson Ch Marak (2,384).
After Clifford’s death on February 28, his wife (Kalpana) was elected as the acting president of the GNC. Kalpana has, in the past, claimed that people of Chokpot constituency had asked her to contest the by-election.
As far as Bluebell is concerned, NCP president and legislator Sanbor Shullai said she had applied for party ticket and the application will be scrutinized by Marthon Sangma, party legislator from Mendipathar.
Though the NPP led by Purno A Sangma is yet to officially announce the party’s nominee, a party source said that the ticket may go to Phillipole D Marak who had come second in the 2013 Assembly polls.
While Congress is yet to announce the name of the party candidate, nothing is known of the BJP’s interest in contesting the by-election.
With the issuing of notification on June 3 by the Election department, the process of filing of nominations will start and the last date for filing of nominations is June 10.
The scrutiny will be held on June 11, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is on June 13. The votes will be counted on June 30.