TURA: A total of 48 candidates filed their nomination papers on the last day with Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma filing his nomination from a second constituency on Wednesday.
Putting all speculations to rest about his candidature for two constituencies, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday filed his nomination to contest from the second constituency of Songsak in East Garo Hills.
He will be facing NPP strongman and two term sitting legislator Nihim D Shira.
The chief minister filed his nomination before the returning officer at Williamnagar D C office. A day earlier, he had filed his nomination to retain his constituency of Ampati in South West Garo Hills district where it is a direct contest with BJP’s Bakul Hajong.
The last day for filing of nominations witnessed a large turnout of candidates vying for the contest in the five districts with the highest number being in West Garo Hills district.
This election, the contest has stretched beyond the regular parties-Congress, NPP, BJP and NCP.
Hoping to make a mark are Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as well as the Maharashtra headquartered Republican Party of India (RPI) who have put up candidates in different constituencies.
Some of the high profile candidates who filed their nomination on the last day were Meghalaya speaker Abu Taheer Mondal of the Congress for Phulbari Constituency, sitting MLA Clement Marak of Congress for Selsella constituency, sitting Independent MLA Ashahel D. Shira for Rajabala constituency, sports and youth affairs minister Zenith Sangma for Rangsakona constituency and his wife sitting MDC and chairman of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council Sadhiarani M. Sangma for Gambegre constituency.
Former minister and senior BJP leader, K C Boro filed his nomination for Tikrikilla constituency, while former minister and BJP leader Billykid A Sangma filed his nomination for the South Tura constituency.
Chiang D Shira, an aspiring BJP candidate, who was denied party ticket for North Tura also filed his nomination as a rebel Independent candidate.
A total of 48 candidates filed nominations today. Majority of the plain belt candidate today filed their nomination papers. In the plain belt of Garo Hills, the issue of road has been a major poll plank with opposition cornering the Congress party.
Countering the allegations, Meghalaya speaker and Congress leader Abu Taheer Mondal said, “It is politically motivated. The road which was with the North Eastern Council (NEC) has been converted to national highway and tender has been floated for its construction”.
The road which connects four constituencies in the region, Selsella, Rajabala, Phulbari and Tikrikilla, stretches over 60 kms. It’s deplorable condition has become a political issue which the opposition has been hammering the Congress with.
Mondol accused the opposition of being dearth of issues and using the road condition for political gains. “In Phulbari and other constituencies in plaint belt there has been several new roads connecting villages, which has been the biggest achievement of the Congress party”, claimed Mondal.
He said that people of Meghalaya would repose their faith in the Congress party based on the development initiatives, which were taken up by the Congress government under the leadership of chief minister Mukul Sangma.
The Congress party, which is facing two strong opponents for the first time in an election in Garo Hills , BJP and NPP, however, believes that the two opposition parties will fail to make any mark at the polls.
Congress leader Zenith Sangma while speaking to The Shillong Times after filing his nomination for Rangsakona constituency remarked that that NPP is jointly fighting with BJP against the Congress and that their internal alliance had been exposed. “In several constituencies BJP is backing NPP and in some NPP is backing BJP. They are two sides of the same coin. As far as this election is concerned we are coming back with power to form the government with a thumping majority”, a confident Zenith Sangma said.
He also accused the BJP – NPP combine of trying to hijack the implementation of government schemes by creating false propaganda.