SHILONG: Meghalaya state Congress is yet to open its cards as far as fielding its candidate from Tura Lok Sabha constituency which has remained out of the Congress’s grip for years now.
A senior leader of the party, Ampareen Lyngdoh feels that the CLP leader, Mukul Sangma will be the best choice for the party in Tura seat.
Ampareen Lyngdoh on Saturday said , “ if Mukul Sangma is made the party candidate from Tura, it will be the best bet for the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.”
Stating that the party should field its best candidate from Tura constituency, Lyngdoh added that the party so far has not taken any decision as far as fielding candidates from both the Shillong and Tura seast and the party right now is currently giving application forms to the interested individuals who want to apply for the ticket
Prominent names are emerging from the Congress for the Lok Sabha election in Tura constituency and the race for ticket is getting more interesting.
Former Cabinet minister Deborah Marak, who lost the Williamnagar by-election last year, and another former minister Zenith Sangma have filed applications for party nomination to contest from Tura parliamentary constituency.
Though on many occasions, the margin of defeat for the Congress candidate was huge in Tura, it was reduced to as low as 17,945 in 2009 election when Agatha Sangma defeated Congress candidate Deborah C Marak.
In 2004 and 2006 elections, late Purno Sangma’s nearest rival was Congress candidates Mukul Sangma and the former had won with a huge margins.
In 2008, when Purno made his comeback to state politics, his daughter Agatha won the by-election by a margin of 99,856 votes defeating Zenith.
Apart from Tura, there is also a strong fight for ticket within Congress for Shillong Lok Sabha seat. While the sitting MP Vincent Pala looking forward to contest for a third consecutive time and former home minister of the state HDR Lyngdoh has also joined the race for party nomination.
