SHILLONG, March 13: Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma on Saturday said his National People’s Party (NPP) would make its position clear on the by-election to the Mawryngkneng seat once the Election Commission announces the poll date.
He, however, said the NPP is preparing for it, stating that the party’s state and district level committees have already met and that the party is organizing itself at the grassroots level.
The by-poll has been necessitated by the demise of David Nongrum, son of senior Congress leader Charles Pyngrope, in February. The family made it clear that none from it would contest the by-election.
The constituents in ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance are likely to contest the by-poll separately and not field a common candidate.
Over the past three years, the Congress also lost two other sitting MLAs. Senior leader Clement R Marak had passed away a few months after winning the 2018 Assembly elections following a long battle with cancer. The party’s Rajabala MLA, Dr Azad Zaman died recently. The deaths of the three MLAs brought the strength of the Congress in the Assembly down to 17. The NPP has 21 legislators.
Along with Mawryngkneng, Rajabala will also go to by-election. It was learnt the state election department is gearing up for the by-election to the two seats.