With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the poll dates for the General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha on Saturday, the two seats in Meghalaya – Shillong and Tura – will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19. The results will be declared on June 4.
The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has fielded candidates for both the seats.
The Shillong seat, with 13,14,036 electorates as per the 2021 data, will witness a tight contest, among the incumbent Vincent H Pala of the Indian National Congress (INC), who is a consecutively three-time winner, former Congress woman, M Ampareen Lyngdoh, now an NPP minister in the ruling dispensation, a former civil society group leader Robertjune Kharjahrin representing a regional party conglomerate consisting of United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP)-coined Regional Democratic Alliance, Dr. Ricky J Syngkon, a college teacher of the infantile Voice of the People’s Party (VPP).
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has as many as 5 party ticket aspirants in veteran legislator, A. L. Hek, currently a minister in the MDA government here, which the party supports, former state president Ernest Mawrie, BJYM president Mewaker Lyngdoh, a national executive member Sumitra Laloo, and advocate Fenela Lyngdoh Nonglait.
In Tura, where sitting MP Agatha Sangma, a five-times MP and the youngest minister ever to be in the Union government, will face insignificant challenge from the INC’s Saleng Sangma, and a challenger from the BJP. The Tura seat has 10,11,676 electorates as per the 2021 data.
Tura MDC Bernard N Marak, former MLAs – Winnerson D Sangma and KC Boro, former Garo Hills Autonomous District Council chief Boston Marak, Ria Sangma and Thomas Marak are the aspirants for the BJP ticket.
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