SHILLONG: With multiple parties opposed to the Congress which, however, has weakened, the mandate of the people will be fragmented further compared to the past elections.
With the exodus of legislators from the Congress, its tally may be reduced from the current 30 during the polls.
After the last 2013 Assembly polls, the Congress had secured 29 seats followed by a win in the by-election in Chokpot raising the tally to 30.
The seats secured by other parties after the 2013 polls were UDP (8), Independents (13), HSPDP(4), NPP and NCP (2 each) GNC (1) and North East Social Democratic Party led by lone MLA Lamboklang Mylliem.
However, one of the UDP legislators, Remington Pyngrope, has already joined NPP.
BJP, CPI, KHNAM, LJP, MDP, Rashtriya Secular Congress and Samajwadi party drew blank in the 2013 polls.
The MUA-II government was formed soon after the 2013 polls with the support of Independents and two NCP legislators.
Though the government is set to last its full term, there is anti-incumbency for its failure to live up to the expectations of the people.
Both the newly elected Congress president Celestine Lyngdoh and former chief minister DD Lapang are confident that the party will still emerge as the single largest.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma claimed recently that the party will secure absolute majority.
However, the revival of NPP, which has only two MLAs in the current Assembly, and the presence of BJP are likely to affect the Congress the most.
NPP had secured the entry of five Congress legislators and one from UDP while the former Congress legislators, PN Syiem and AL Hek, joined PDF and BJP, respectively.
Besides NPP and BJP, the new entrant PDF and the coalition of UDP-HSPDP will also add to the fractured verdict while the Congress is facing an uphill task to emerge as the single largest party.
NPP had claimed that it will perform better in both Khasi Hills and Garo Hills.
Other parties, including NCP and KHNAM, are also fielding many candidates.
NCP, whose state president Sanbor Shullai has joined BJP, is trying to revive itself with Independent legislator Saleng Sangma set to take over the mantle of the party.
The parties which do not have any presence in the state, AAP and the Republican Party of India (Athawale), are also planning to put up candidates.
