SHILLONG/ TURA: The by-election to the South Tura constituency is slated to witness a four-cornered contest with two more candidates, after Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Congress’ Charlotte W Momin, filing their nominations on Monday, the last day for candidates to submit their papers.
Former MLA John Leslee K Sangma and UDP rebel Kris Kabul A Sangma were the two candidates on Monday to file nominations as Independents for the by-election.
The central UDP leaders had earlier made it clear that they would support Conrad.
UDP president and Assembly Speaker Donkupar Roy said the UDP is committed to supporting the chief minister as he can continue to lead the MDA government.
The scrutiny of nominations will be done on Tuesday and the last date for withdrawal from the contest is August 9.
Like in South Tura, in Ranikor too there are four candidates in fray – former Congress legislator and NPP member MM Danggo,
former KHADC CEM PN Syiem (PDF), UDP’s Pius Marwein and Jackiush Marak of the Congress.
This by-election is the first for Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and the Congress’ Charlotte Momin in the South Tura constituency. Conrad had previously been elected in 2008 from Selsella constituency. He lost to Clement Marak of the Congress in 2013.
The Congress candidate is on her maiden electoral forage post her retirement from government service.
In the case of Independent candidate John Leslee K Sangma, he was previously elected as an MDC of the GHADC before being elected to the state legislature in 2013.
He became the first legislator of the new constituency of South Tura in 2013 after it was divided into two legislative seats, post delimitation. He won as an Independent in a cliffhanger contest narrowly defeating Billykid A Sangma by a wafer thin margin of just 18 votes during counting of the postal ballot votes.
He sought to retain his seat as an NCP candidate in 2018 but was relegated to fourth position with Agatha K Sangma defeating her nearest opponent and BJP candidate Billykid A Sangma to win the seat this year.
Kris Kabul, another independent, had unsuccessfully contested the previous elections. He reportedly contested from Dalu (Barengapara), Tura and most recently from Selsella.
