TURA: The National People’s Party went into this elections with a call for change, and change it did pushing the ruling Congress into second position in the Garo Hills which sends 24 elected legislators to the 60 member house.
Out of the 23 assembly seats where elections took place, the NPP bagged 11 while the Congress won in 10 seats. Only one Independent candidate won in the Garo Hills- Samuel Sangma in Baghmara while the NCP opened its account with Saleng A Sangma in Gambegre.
The BJP, despite a electrifying campaign in the Garo Hills, failed to open its account in any of the seats.
The Conrad K Sangma led party surprised many a political pundit and astrologer with surprising results virtually vanquishing the Congress in some of the latter’s bastions and helping to push the NPP tally to 11 seats while the Congress had to settle for the number two slot with 10 seats.
For the NPP which just five years ago was staring at a mere two wins in the 2013 elections, James Pangsang K Sangma in Dadenggre and Nihim D Shira in Songsak, this was a victory like never before.
Its’ phenomenal win in the two most prestigious seats of North and South Tura rallied supporters who came out onto the streets to celebrate even as voting was still underway.
Former Union minister of state and Late P A Sangma’s youngest daughter Agatha K Sangma who was initially trailing to the BJP’s Billykid A Sangma at the beginning of the vote count came from behind to snatch the South Tura seat by a margin of 1603 votes. This is Agatha’s first contest in a state election.
Sitting NCP candidate John Leslee K Sangma had to settle for fourth position after Congress’s Grithalson Arengh.
The results of North Tura made the taste of victory more sweeter for the NPP where another Congress heavyweight and sitting legislator Noverfield R Marak fell by the wayside to the NPP’s Thomas A Sangma, a former Rajya Sabha MP, who edged him out by a large margin of 2096 votes.
The NPP’s juggernaut rolled through the East, North and West Garo Hills districts crushing in its path several senior Congress heavyweights. Former Congress chief minister Salseng C Marak was defeated by his arch rival Timothy D Shira in Resubelpara constituency of North Garo Hills by a margin of 1763 votes.
Similarly, another Congress strongman Cherak W Momin was ousted from Kharkutta constituency by NPP’s Rupert Momin with a margin of 809 votes.
Despite a strong NPP wave in this western part of the state, the Congress was able to hold their fort in their traditional bastions. The Congress proved their battle hardiness in the South West Garo Hills district where all three seats went to the party.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma retained his Ampati seat defeating Bakul Hajong of the BJP with a margin of 8104 votes, a reduced margin in comparison to the 2013 elections when his margin was 9096 votes.
The spouse of the chief minister, Dikkanchi D Shira, retained her Mahendraganj seat defeating the BJP’s Premananda Koch by 7861 votes, a rise from the 2013 election results when her victory margin against the UDP’s Nimarson Momin was 6859 votes.
However, the victory margin was not the same for the younger brother of the chief minister, Zenith Sangma, in Rangsakona constituency. Zenith defeated the NPP’s Subir Marak by only 1962 votes. In the 2013 elections Zenith had defeated Subir by a huge margin of 6070 votes.
A major setback to the Congress was in the plains belt region of West Garo Hills where its senior party candidate and Meghalaya assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondol was defeated by the NPP’s S G Esmatur Mominin by a margin of 1134 votes.
Even three time legislator and senior Congressman Limison D Sangma lost to a young sitting MDC from the NPP, Benedic R Marak by 624 votes. Consolation for Limison was the victory of his younger brother Jimmy D Sangma (INC) from Tikrikilla who defeated sitting Independent MLA Michael T Sangma.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major campaign rally at Phulbari clearly failed to arouse the voters’ interest as the BJP’s Binoy Ghosh had to settle for the 4th position with only 4570 votes.
The lone consolation for the Congress in the plain region was Rajabala where its candidate Dr Azad Zaman made a surprise win defeating sitting Independent legislator Ashahel D Shira by 938 votes.
The northern region of Garo Hills swung in favour of the NPP which grabbed three out of the four seats where contest took place. It was only at Mendipathar constituency that the NPP candidate and former Congressman Frankenstein W Momin was outsmarted by sitting MLA and Congress candidate Marthon Sangma who won by 2677 votes.
While the NPP gained in Raksamgre, Phulbari, North and South Tura, Bajengdoba, Resubelpara, Kharkutta, Rongjeng, Siju-Rongara, Dalu, yet it lost the Songsak seat held by its two time legislator Nihim D Shira who was defeated by chief minister Mukul Sangma by 1830 votes.
The Congress, on the other hand, suffered reverses in as many as eight constituencies where its candidates had stood and gained only in Rajabala, Tikrikilla and Songsak.
