The much awaited election from the Ampati Constituency vacated by former Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma is scheduled for May 28. Sangma had won from two seats, Songsak and Ampati in the elections held on February 27 this year. He decided to give up his pocket- borough Ampati which had elected him for six consecutive terms and to retain Songsak. Mukul Sangma decided to set up his daughter Miani D Shira as the candidate and the Congress concurred. This has created mixed feelings among the electorate. They feel cheated and taken for granted by the man who they have elected consistently. Mukul had nurtured Ampati and made it a shining outpost in the wilderness called Garo Hills where many other districts such as South Garo Hills have continued to remain undeveloped.
Since people of Meghalaya don’t vote on issues this is a contest of personalities. Earlier the contest was thought to be a straight one between Miani D Shira of the Congress and Clement Momin of the National Peoples Party (NPP). It has now turned into a three-cornered one with Subhankar Koch filing his nomination as an Independent candidate. Miani D Shira is not talking of issues that affect the state but repeatedly stresses on the achievements of her father and his ability to transform the Constituency into a model for Garo Hills. The NPP candidate meanwhile has turned the debate into a larger discourse about the backwardness of Garo Hills and the need to push for speedy development of the region and the state even while he promises the electorate to take Ampati to a different level. The Congress has roped in all the bigwigs from the Party in the State and the AICC too for the campaign. The NPP is not to be left behind. For Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma and his Party this is a prestigious fight and one that will decide the future of Meghalaya’s politics henceforth. The NPP tasted blood when it won Williamnagar known to be Congress candidate Deborah Marak’s pocket-borough. That loss put the Congress on the back-foot and resulted in a near revolt by the Williamnagar Block Congress against Mukul Sangma and his men who were accused of campaigning for the Independent candidate. Matters have come to a head and the complaint against Mukul has reached the AICC. May 28 will decide the fate not just of Miani and Ampati but of the leadership of Mukul Sangma too.