MLA Clement Marak passes away in Delhi hospital

SHILLONG/TURA/NEW DELHI: Former Cabinet Minister and incumbent Selsella MLA Clement Marak passed away in a hospital in New Delhi on Monday evening after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 58.

The sitting legislator had been battling prostate cancer for several years and was admitted to Max Super-specialty Hospital at Shalimarbagh in New Delhi for the last two weeks.

Later, the problem aggravated as he was diagnosed with lung infection. Marak frequently visited America for treatment in the last few years.

His condition deteriorated a week ago and he was put on life support but he never regained consciousness.

Congress spokesperson Zenith Sangma confirmed the death of the sitting MLA saying he passed away around 7.30 pm.

Marak was also the power minister in the previous Congress MUA government in the state.

Despite his ailing health, Marak plunged into the electoral fray in this year’s Assembly elections and was able to retain his Selsella constituency defeating NPP’s Ferlin C A Sangma.

Marak entered politics by winning an MDC election from the GHADC. He joined the Congress and was rewarded the party ticket in 2004 for the by-election that was necessitated in Selsella, Songsak and Mawprem assembly seats after the sitting legislators died in a helicopter crash at Kyrdemkulai in September 2004.

He won the Selsella by-election defeating P A Sangma’s younger son and current chief minister, Conrad K Sangma.

He subsequently lost the 2008 assembly elections from Selsella constituency to Conrad Sangma. In 2013, he defeated sitting NPP MLA Conrad Sangma and went on to become the state’s power minister.

He retained his seat in the 2018 Assembly elections while many senior Congress ministers and legislators fell by the wayside to an NPP wave in the state.

During his tenure as a legislator, Marak served the government as parliamentary secretary and later as minister for several departments, primarily power, excise, forest, food and civil supplies, weaving and sericulture departments.

Marak’s body will be flown to Shillong from Delhi on Tuesday and from there to Garo Hills for his last rites. Officials from Meghalaya House were present in the hospital since his condition was deteriorating.