Independent Garo MLA eyes vacant Tura LS seat

SHILLONG: Independent legislator from Rongara-Siju constituency and Parliamentary Secretary in charge Information and Public Relations, Rophul S. Marak, is keen to contest the vacant Tura Lok Sabha seat.
The seat fell vacant following the demise of sitting MP from Tura, Purno A Sangma, on March 4.
The Election Commission is yet  to announce the date for the by-poll.
Sources on Sunday said Marak has the support of many legislators including Independents and even Congress MLAs to contest the vacant seat.
When contacted, Marak did not deny the move and said he was assessing the situation.
Earlier, the NPP leadership had appealed to the political parties and individuals not to put up any candidate for the Tura seat as a mark of respect to the departed soul of Purno.
Though the name of NPP national president Conrad Sangma is doing the rounds as the party candidate to contest the Tura seat, the party is yet to officially declare his candidature.
NPP’s principal rival Congress is in a dilemma as the party is not able to decide on a candidate who can win the seat this time after Purno had won the seat nine times and his daughter Agatha Sangma one time.
In the 2014 polls, Purno had defeated young Daryl Momin of the Congress by a margin of 39,716 votes.
Sources said that while the chief minister is keen to field Momin once again, the AICC and the State party leadership want a more suitable candidate to take on the NPP nominee.
Earlier, last month, in a meeting held at the residence of Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Zenith Sangma, many Congress legislators had supported his candidature for the Tura seat.
But the party is not keen to spare Zenith as the Assembly polls are just two years away.