SHILLONG: Mukul Sangma and his relatives faced defeat five times when Purno Sangma and his family took on them in the past Lok Sabha polls in Tura.
The political rivalry between Purno and Mukul started in 2004 and it continued for the last 15 years till 2019 through the families of both the leaders.
From 1972 to 1998, Purno contested and won the seat from the Congress.
Though Purno contested for the first time in 1999 on NCP ticket after the formation of the party, his opponent was not Mukul or his family members.
It was in the next Lok Sabha polls in 2004 that Mukul joined the fray for the first time and he was defeated by Purno, who had contested on All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) ticket.
In a by-poll to Tura seat in 2006, Mukul had to face defeat from Purno who contested from NCP after he resigned from AITC over the firing incident that claimed nine lives in Garo Hills over the MBoSE bifurcation issue.
In 2008, after Purno returned to state politics after his win in the Assembly polls held that year, a by-poll was held and Agatha Sangma defeated Mukul’s brother Zenith Sangma.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, PA Sangma again contested for Tura seat and defeated Darly Momin, son-in-law of Mukul, though with a reduced margin of over 39,000 votes.
Later in the by-poll held in 2016 after the death of Purno, his son Conrad Sangma defeated Mukul’s wife Dikkanchi Shira with a record margin of 1.92 lakh votes.
Deborah an exception
The only time there was a tough fight was in 2009 when two women, Deborah Marak of the Congress and Agatha, then with NCP, contested against each other.
Deborah reduced the victory margin of Agatha to 17,945, the lowest ever from Tura.
Agatha polled 1,54,476 votes and Deborah 136531.
Votes polled in 2004Votes polled in 2004 Purno Sangma: 1,91,938 Mukul Sangma: 1,19,1752006 Purno Sangma: 2,20,024 Mukul Sangma: 1,18,8482008 Agatha Sangma: 1,81,761 Zenith Sangma: 81,9052014 PA Sangma: 2,39,301 Daryl Momin: 1,99,585 2016 Conrad Sangma: 3,29,497 Dikkanchi Shira: 1,37,2852009 Agatha Sangma: 1,54,476 Deborah Marak: 1,36,531
