Shillong, Oct 30: All candidates to the three Assembly seats that went to bypolls on Saturday are confident that they would emerge victorious in their respective constituencies when the results are declared.
Mawphlang: All the three candidates of by-elections to Mawphlang Assembly constituency, where a keen contest was expected, expressed optimism about their victory.
Former Indian footballer Eugeneson Lyngdoh of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Member of Development Council (MDC) Lamphrang Blah of the National People’s Party (NPP) and former MLA Kennedy C Khyriem of the Congress said people wanted them to represent the seat.
Lyngdoh, son of former MLA the late SK Sunn whose death necessitated the by-polls, said he contested as desired by the people.
“The rival candidates are strong contenders as they are experienced politicians who have been in this field for a number of years. I am a new entrant,” Lyngdoh said.
He wanted to win to carry forward the legacy and unfinished work of his father. He said his only disappointment is that he could not visit all the villages due to time constraints.
“I have been able to hold meetings only at the polling stations but I hope people understood the difficulties. I am sure they know why I contested the polls,” Lyngdoh said.
He also said that he had seen love, respect and hope in the eyes of the people during campaigning.
Blah was hopeful about his victory given his election to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council as an MDC for the fourth term on the trot.
He said he had restrained himself from making any personal attack on his rivals during campaigning. He said he felt people backed his decision to contest from the NPP.
“I decided to join the NPP to contest since I did not want to get involved in the tussle for party ticket,” he said.
He also said that his top priority will be to improve road connectivity, uplift health care facilities and improve the education sector.
Kennedy was upbeat about his success, stating that people in the constituency had seen his performance when he served them as an MLA.He considered Lyngdoh as his close rival given the sympathy wave in favour of the latter. He, however, felt it was restricted to the family members and the neighbours of the late SK Sunn.
Khyriem also said that the results of the by-elections will indicate how the parties are going to fare in the constituency in the Assembly elections of 2023.
“Anyone, who wins, will have an upper hand in 2023,” the Congress candidate said.
He said if elected, he will follow up things he was not able to complete before and also whatever the late SK Sunn had initiated.
Mawryngkneng: The National People’s Party and Congress are equally confident of bagging Mawryngkneng, traditionally a bastion of the latter, when the results of the by-elections to three Assembly constituencies are declared on November 2.
Mawryngkneng witnessed a health voting on Saturday. NPP candidate Pyniaidsing Syiem, who cast his vote at a polling station in Tynring claimed he would be the new MLA as people in the constituency are eager to get an MLA who can bring development to the constituency. He said all five candidates in the constituency would be tough to beat, but he said the NPP’s main opponent is Congress that held the seat for the last 15 years.
Syiem said the NPP’s focus on improving drinking water, road, communication and health infrastructure in Mawryngkneng would stand it in good stead. The constituency did not receive much attention when it was represented by a Congress candidate, he added.
Congratulating the voters for coming out to exercise their franchise despite the threat by the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council, he said things will change in the constituency if it is represented by the NPP.
He brushed aside various allegations against his party as “usual charges” during elections. “We have tried out best to explain our service-oriented agenda to the people,” he said.
Congress candidate Highlander Kharmalki was also confident about victory because of the “support of the people” and the hard work put in by the party leaders and workers.
Norbert Marboh, a former Congress leader who contested the election as an independent candidate said he should win the by-election if money power does not work.
He refused to say if his exit would affect Congress. “My priority is on serving the people,” he said.
Rajabala: Arch rivals Congress and NPP are optimistic the Rajabala votes have gone in their favour while the third aspirant Ashahel D Shira of the UDP believes he has held on to his expected victory margin.
While both the Congress and the NPP claim to have taken the upper hand in the plain belt region, an area having the highest number of vote share, the UDP candidate is making no secret of his confidence that he has secured the largest consolidated vote share from the hill region.
“The people in the hills have backed me to the hilt. I am optimistic about the results. I am also expecting a substantial number of votes from the plain belt. The rest will be divided between the Congress and the NPP,” says UDP candidate Ashahel D Shira while speaking to The Shillong Times on Saturday night.
Attempts to connect with the Congress and the NPP candidate turned futile throughout the day. While Hashina Mondol of the Congress avoided the media, Abdus Saleh of the NPP was not reachable on his cell phone, the entire day.
While the tribal belt in the hill region has close to thirteen thousand votes, Garos and plain tribes included, the muslim majority plains have almost twenty thousand vote share.
In the last assembly elections held in 2018, Rajabala recorded 93.46 percent voting. As many as 27,188 eligible exercised their voting right. In that election, Dr Azad Zaman of the Congress won by securing 7,420 votes against sitting Independent MLA Ashahel D Shira who garnered 6,482 votes. This time, Ashahel has contested as a candidate of the regional UDP.
Replacing the late Dr Azad Zaman is his wife and widow Hashina Yasmin Mondol of the Congress.
It is interesting to note that in the 2018 elections, having failed to secure the Congress ticket and neither going with any particular political party, Abdus Saleh contested as an Independent and received 5891 votes to overtake the then NPP candidate Dr Mizanur Rahman Kazi (5178) by 713 votes and secure the third place.
Independent candidate Zinbaward n Sangma came last with 1,115 votes to his account.
With polling having come to an end and the voting figures of each polling station or booth out in public glare, the number crunching has begun in the camps of the three top contenders. Only Tuesday will reveal who got whose numbers right, or were proven wrong.
Mawryngkneng revels in voting
There was a lot of excitement among voters when Mawryngkneng went to by-elections on Saturday. They woke up early and queued up at polling stations to cast their votes. The constituency recorded an impressive voters’ turnout of 75.06%. Polling was peaceful.
Mawryngkneng has been a Congress bastion traditionally but a direct fight was expected between the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Congress this time around. Even before polling began at 7 am, a lot of voters were seen queuing up across polling stations.
A group of reporters, which visited the constituency during polling hours, saw the nodal officers across polling stations ensuring each and every voter follows the COVID-19 protocols, including social distancing. Those who came without wearing a mask were provided with masks besides disposal gloves.
Congress candidate, Highlander Kharmalki was among those who cast their vote.
At one polling station in Sohryngkham, the reporters met an old and friendly lady, who identified herself as Kophi Justina Khatumnuid. The near centenarian said she was determined to cast her vote early. She said she does not mind who wins but the winner must fulfil the promises made during campaigning.
A group of first-time voters – both boys and girls – had turned up at a polling station in Tynring. The girls, who were given a certificate each, were excited about exercising their franchise. They said it was a great feeling that they were participating in a democratic process.
NPP candidate, Pyniaidsing Syiem visited the polling station to cast his vote. Independent candidate, Norbert Marboh was also seen in the polling station, inspecting things and interacting with voters.
All the candidates were confident of their success.