TURA: Barely five days are left for the by-poll in South Tura and campaigning continues to be a low-key exercise with candidates and supporters preferring to hold street corner meetings in different localities.
Voters are due to cast their vote on August 23 where Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of NPP is pitted against Congress’ Charlotte W Momin, Independents John Leslee K Sangma and Chris Kabul A Sangma.
The NPP bigwigs, including senior Cabinet ministers as well as Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong are expected to hit the campaign trail on the last leg.
Conrad, who has mobilised support for NPP’s Martin M Danggo in Ranikor, is expected to hold a series of rallies in Tura by early next week.
For the Congress, its former chief minister and Songsak MLA Mukul Sangma has been the prime campaigner holding several locality meetings last week.
The NPP campaign is on development of South Tura and party leaders are optimistic of a result in their favour terming this poll as ‘prestigious’ given that a chief minister is contesting from this constituency for the first time in many decades.
The Congress, on the other hand, is harping on the ‘development’ undertaken by its government in the past 10 years and seeks a result in its favour.
John Leslee has been highlighting his tenure as an MLA saying transparency was his mantra to ensure projects were given directly to local development committees.
John Leslee has also become the main critic of the chief minister accusing him of failing to protect the interests of the state.
The remaining days of the campaign is expected to be fiery as all four candidates take on one another to try and garner the maximum number of support.
