SHILLONG: Shillong Congress candidate Vincent Pala has created history with a record victory margin which is the highest since 1977.
Pala has recorded the highest winning margin so far with 1,52,433 votes. His victory margin in 2014 against PBM Basaiawmoit was only 40,379.
In 2019, he improved his winning margin from 2009, the first time he contested the election. Pala’s margin then was 1,07,868 against John Kharshiing.
In 1977, when Hoping Stone Lyngdoh defeated PG Marbaniang, the victory margin was 4,765.
In a deferred election in 1983, B R Kharlukhi won with a margin of 16,871 against Wilford Lyngdoh.
The winning margin for GG Swell was 50,826 votes against B. Pakem in 1984.
When PG Marbaniang defeated GG Swell in 1989, the margin was 13,285 and later in 1991, Marbaniang won with a margin of 19,390 against the same opponent.
The victory margin secured by Swell against DD Lapang in 1996 was 79,302.
In 1998, PR Kyndiah defeated GG Swell with a margin of 6,012 and in 1999 Kyndiah secured a margin of 37,823 against SD Khongwir.
In 2004, Kyndiah secured 70,896 more votes than against Loniak Marbaniang.
The winning margin of Agatha Sangma from Tura this time is 64,030 which is less than 2008 but more than the 2009 general elections.
In 2008, Agatha defeated Zenith Sangma with a margin of 99,856 while in 2009 she defeated Deborah Marak with a margin of 17,945 votes.
However, Agatha failed to break the record of her brother Conrad Sangma when he contested the by-election in 2016 against Congress’s Dikkanchi Shira.
The winning margin of Conrad was over 1.92 lakh votes.
CLP leader Mukul Sangma tasted defeat for the third consecutive term.
Mukul had also contested the Lok Sabha election in 2004 against late Purno Sangma and the latter’s winning margin was 72,763. In 2006, Purno secured a margin of 1,01,176 against Mukul.