GUWAHATI: National People’s Party candidate Clement G Momin is confident of winning from Ampati constituency this time, claiming that he might get lucky this time.
Momin lost to former chief minister Mukul Sangma in the 2008 and 2013 elections.
“Yes, I feel that it will be third-time lucky. But this time there is a 100 per cent chance of winning mainly because of two reasons, our party heading the state government and Mukul Sangma vacating the seat and deserting the people of Ampati,” Momin, a former school teacher and party loyalist, told The Shillong Times on Monday.
The NPP candidate believes that things and circumstances leading the poll are different this time than what they were in 2008 and 2013.
“The voters have been let down by Mukul’s move to resign from the seat. So this will be a major factor this time,” he said.
The former chief minister, who has also won from Songsak in East Garo Hills, had vacated Ampati a few days after retaining the seat for a third time, thereby paving the way for the May 28 by-poll and making room for his 27-year-old daughter, Miani D Shira, to contest.
NPP, which did not field any candidate from Ampati in the February election, because of what was believed to be an “understanding” with post-poll ally BJP, had last week decided to field Momin as its candidate in the by-election.
“The contest will be mainly between NPP and Congress. But with NPP heading the state government, and of late, party candidate, Marcuise N Marak posting a resounding win in the Williamnagar by-poll, the wave of change is on our side. We believe we can topple the Congress in Ampati as well,” Momin claimed, discounting the rest in the fray by saying that “the others will not be a factor”.
Former BJP candidate, Bakul Chandra Hajong had told this correspondent on Saturday of his intention to have another go either from the BJP which is contemplating his candidature from the party, or if he fails to get a ticket, as an Independent. A former sericulture director, Hajong had lost to Mukul Sangma in the February election.
Asked about the developments in Ampati in regard to among others, roads, hospitals,a farmers’ market centre and a “world-class” stadium which is under construction, Momin said, “From the roadside, you will see a lot of development. But if you go to interior places, there are so many things to be done.”
In the 2008 election, Momin lost to Mukul by a margin of 2,966 votes. However, in the 2013 poll, the victory margin of Mukul soared to a staggering 9,036 votes.