GUWAHATI: Polling in both South Tura and Ranikor Assembly constituencies in Meghalaya where the by-election is being held on Thursday, is going on smoothly so far since 7 A.M. with voters showing enthusiasm in participating in the exercise.
The by-election has assumed significance in view of presence of chief minister and the National People’s Party (NPP) leader, Conrad Sangma in the fray in South Tura. Five-time MLA and now a NPP candidate Martin M Danggo is seeking re-election from Ranikor constituency. Danggo believes that the people e of the constituency who have elected him to the House for five consecutive terms, will again give him a chance to serve them. For the chief minister Conrad Sangma, it is a must win situation to remain as the head of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in Meghalaya.
By-election South Tura Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) has been required to give chief minister Conrad Sangma a chance to get elected to the state Assembly while in Ranikor LAC , the by-election has been necessitated after the sitting MLA, Martin M Danggo quit to shift allegiance from Congress to the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
By-election to South Tura was facilitated after resignation of the sitting MLA, Agatha Sangam, a former Union Minister, who had quit to pave the way for election of her brother and chief minister Conrad to the Assembly. Conrad had to take up the reins of chief minister to head the coalition government after February 27 Assembly election this year though he is still not a member of the Assembly but the sitting MP from Tura Parliamentary constituency.
In Ranikor Assembly constituency, NPP’s Martin M Danggo is facing Unite Democratic Party’s (UDP’s) Pius Marwein, People’s Democratic Front’s (PDF’s), P N Syiem and Congress’ Jackiush Sangma.
However, all the constituents of ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) led by the NPP are supporting the NPP candidate, Conrad Sangma in South Tura.
The ruling MDA constituents include NPP, UDP, PDF, Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) , BJP and Khun Hynnewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM).
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.
Evidently, the NPP is desperately looking for win in both the constituencies to become the single largest party in the state Assembly.