SHILLONG: High polling percentage of 83.2 was recorded in Ranikor Legislative Constituency (LAC) in Meghalaya in the by-election held on Thursday.
By-election to the constituency was necessitated after the sitting MLA, Martin M Danggo had quit to shift allegiance from Congress to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
Danggo is now seeking re-election to the Assembly from Ranikor Assembly constituency which he has already represented for five consecutive terms. He is pitted against Unite Democratic Party’s (UDP’s) Pius Marwein, People’s Democratic Front’s (PDF’s), P N Syiem and Congress’ Jackiush Sangma, in a four-cornered contest.
The party position in the 60-member Meghalaya House, which as on date has 58 MLAs, is as the following : MDA allies– NPP(20 MLAs), UDP (6MLAs), PDF (4 MLAs), HSPDP (two MLAs) BJP (2 MLAs) and KHNAM (one MLA) ; the opposition Congress has 20 MLAs and there are two Independent MLAs in the House now.