TURA: The curtains have finally come down on over three week long campaign that was dogged by extreme temperatures, weather as well as verbal, for the prestigious South Tura constituency where Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is pitted against three other opponents, including the Congress.
Campaigning came to a close at 5 PM on Tuesday.
The last day of campaigning was by and large a low key affair as the candidates changed poll tactics, replacing public rallies with door-to-door campaigns hoping for a closer bonding with the voters.
Both, the Congress candidate Charlotte W Momin and Independents John Leslee K Sangma and Chris Kabul A Sangma, spent the last day of campaign visiting homes and appealing to voters to cast their precious vote in their favour.
The NPP and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also visited several homes in different localities to seek peoples’ support before heading down for a last campaign rally at Rishipara locality near the Tura main market.
Despite the verbal spates between the candidates and their parties at the campaign trail, yet, this election has been by far the most peaceful in recent times with no untoward incidents having been reported from any place.
Barring minor complaints on use of loud speakers and allegations of money distribution, there have been no reports of any violence even as security remains tight across the South Tura constituency.
Security has been tight across the poll bound constituency with checking of vehicles and frisking of passengers, raiding of illegal liquor dens and intensified night patrolling.
Five sectors under two security zones have been set up, each manned by a gazette officer with sufficient force, police officials informed.
Four additional companies of central paramilitary force, three from the Indo-Tibetian Border Police and one from the CRPF, have arrived for deployed in South Tura for the election, informed West Garo Hills district police chief Dr MGR Kumar. Besides the existing district force, two state police battalions on deployment elsewhere in Garo Hills have also been closed for election duty in Tura.
“We are conducting naka checking at all entry and exit points to the constituency and deployment of adequate force at sensitive areas and locations have already been done. Foot patrolling is also taking place at the sensitive points,” said the district SP.
Meanwhile, campaigning has also ended in Ranikor constituency of South West Khasi Hills, which goes to the polls simultaneously with South Tura.
The campaign in Ranikor is being seen by many as a close fight between Martin Danggo of the NPP, Pius Marwein of the UDP, Jackuish K Sangma of the Congress and P N Syiem of the PDF.