TURA: The political battle for supremacy in Ampati has reached its zenith with both the Congress and the NPP trading charges, at times even blows, in a high-pitched campaign never seen in the previous elections in this sleepy district headquarters of South West Garo Hills.
NPP has lodged an FIR after several youths, allegedly aligned to the opposition Congress, gheraoed one of its elected legislators and prevented him from visiting houses in Ampati town.
According to NPP leaders, the problem started when the party’s North Tura MLA Thomas A Sangma and his supporters were visiting houses to seek support for their candidate Clement G Momin.
“We had paid a courtesy visit to the house of the Nokma and was returning to our vehicles around 6 pm when around 25-30 youth surrounded us demanding that we exit from the place,” said NPP leader Mathias Marak.
Sensing trouble, the NPP delegation left and later filed an FIR at Ampati police station.
Congress sources, however, said NPP was holding election campaign without permission from the authorities.
Elsewhere, in Betasing, trouble broke out between NPP and Congress supporters in which a youth leader of the latter, identified as Dharkan Sangma, was assaulted.
According to police sources, the incident took place at Bainapara village under Betasing police outpost jurisdiction around 8 pm when a campaign team of NPP clashed with Congress supporters.
“Our Betasing in-charge who was on routine patrol was passing through the area when he saw the fight taking place. He managed to pull away to safety one person who was being assaulted,” said district police chief Bobby Momin.
Later, a mob barged into the Betasing outpost angry over the incident and demanding arrest of the culprits. Police had a trying time cooling tempers and it was only past midnight that tempers eased and the crowd disappeared.
While the election machinery has sought additional security forces for the upcoming by-election to Ampati, a fresh batch of four companies of the CRPF have arrived in station to provide security.
