SHILLONG: The campaign to the Shella bypoll came to an end on Saturday at 5 pm with leaders of various political parties making their last ditch effort to woo the voters.
The leaders and the candidates campaigned at market places and also in small localities seeking the support of the voters.
The by-election was necessitated following the demise of Assembly Speaker and sitting MLA of Shella, Donkupar Roy.
Roy’s son Balajiedkupar Synrem is the UDP candidate supported by NPP. Others in the fray are Joshua Warjri of the BJP, Mosjo Rockfeller Wanswett of the PDF, Batyngshain Laitmon Ryngnga from the Congress and two independent candidates Grace Mary Kharpuri and Komen Laitmon.
The MDA partners could not come to any consensus and hence the PDF and BJP had decided to field their own candidates.
While the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh and UDP MLAs and party leaders campaigned for Synrem, Opposition Leader Mukul Sangma chose to campaign mostly in non-tribal areas, the stronghold of the Congress for the party candidate.
On the last day, the chief minister campaigned at Shella bazar to drum up support for the UDP candidate. He also visited the burial place of Roy. The political parties are optimistic about the victory of their candidates.The People’s Democratic Front (PDF), which secured the second highest votes in the last Assembly election in Shella, hopes that the voters will support its candidate.
PDF leader and Cabinet minister Banreidor Lyngdoh said that the party has prepared well this time. He said the party decided to contest the election as it wanted to win the election.
“ Last time, our candidate lost by 370 votes and if we don’t contest, where will our votes go,” he said.
Stating that the Shella constituency is underdeveloped as it lacks proper health, water and road facilities, he added that the party will push for development if it wins the seat.
The minister also downplayed any rumblings within the MDA over the polls saying there will not be any problems in the ruling alliance.
“ PDF is a political party and we have to contest the election,” he said while adding that there is no agreement with other political parties that they cannot contest the elections.
The minister also maintained that the PDF will get a good number of non-tribal votes this time.
