SHILLONG, April 22: Sohiong by-election nears and UDP is counting on the sympathy wave to win the adjourned polls, but the Congress believes that there is no sympathy for UDP in the constituency.
Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H Pala, who also took stock of the party’s preparedness for the bypoll, said his party workers are striving by going door to door to woo the voters. “I took a review and I was told that there is no sympathy,” he said, while adding that one round of meeting has already taken place in the constituency.
The election to Sohiong constituency was adjourned following the demise of UDP candidate HDR Lyngdoh just ahead of the 2023 general elections. The constituency traditionally voted for Congress but things took a turn in 2018 when the then HSPDP candidate, Samlin Malngiang defeated the then Congress leader, HDR Lyngdoh.
But ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, Samlin Malngiang shifted base to the NPP while HDR Lyngdoh also decided to fight for the seat on a UDP ticket thereby deserting the Congress party.
