SHILLONG: After securing 29 seats in the 2013 polls and then one more seat after the Chokpot by-poll, former chief minister Mukul Sangma was considered as the undisputed leader of Garo Hills. However, after the 2018 Assembly polls, an unexpected victory of NPP eclipsed Mukul as the leader and a by-election in Williamnagar, the result of which went in favour of NPP, has reversed the role as Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has become the new leader of Garo Hills. With 20 seats each (10 seats less than 2013), both Congress and NPP have now emerged as equal political players. From two seats after the 2013 polls, NPP secured 19 seats and one more from the just concluded Williamnagar by-poll, a stupendous feat which propelled it to take the lead and form the new government. A former rebel Congress legislator said on Saturday that arrogance and pride coupled with complacency have played a big role in the current situation of the Congress and the CLP leader compared to NPP whose leader is trying to be a person acceptable to all.
He also added that AICC general secretary CP Joshi and other Delhi leaders of the party did not pay heed to the grievances of the rebel Congress legislators prior to the Assembly polls. Political observers feel that NPP has tactically used the rebellion in the Congress and secured the support of the dissidents like Prestone Tynsong, Sniawbhalang Dhar and others. Even after the result of the Assembly polls, AICC did not change the leadership and Mukul was elected as the CLP leader.
The division within the Congress continued culminating in the defeat of Deborah Mark in the Williamnagar by-poll. In the past, the Congress led by Mukul had expected further expansion of its base after the sudden death of Health Minister AL Hek along with other officials inspect Reid Chest Hospital on Saturday. (ST) political stalwart and Tura MP P A Sangma in March 2016. Mukul was jingoistic when he announced prior to the by-poll to the Tura Lok Sabha seat that NPP will be vanquished from Garo Hills. However, Conrad won the seat by defeating Mukul’s wife Dikkanchi D Shira and the special feature of the victory was that the former had secured majority votes in 23 out of the 24 Assembly segments in Garo Hills except Ampati. The victory of the party in the subsequent GHADC polls was an added advantage for NPP. Though Mukul vowed to wipe out NPP in the 2018 Assembly polls, the result showed otherwise.