The candidates for the Mawphlang and Mawryngkneng by-elections have been settled, with three hopefuls to contest the former and five the latter.
Mawphlang will see a three-way fight between Eugeneson Lyngdoh of the United Democratic Party, Kennedy C Khyriem of the Congress and Lamphrang Blah of the National People’s Party. Lyngdoh is the son of the past MLA SK Sunn, whose death necessitated the by-election.
Mawryngkneng will be a straight fight between Highlander Kharmalki of the Congress and Pyniad Sing Syiem of the National People’s Party.
Three independent candidates vying for the October 30 Assembly by-election from Mawryngkneng constituency have been allotted symbols by the Election Commission.
Esron Marwein who was not allowed to contest as KHNAM candidate will now contest on the symbol of ‘winnower’.
Marwein had to contest as an independent candidate after the Election Commission disallowed him to contest on KHNAM ticket due to claims and counter-claims over the party between two factions.
Norbert Myrboh who contested as an independent candidate after he lost the Congress ticket has been given ‘diamond’ as a symbol.
Arbiangkam Kharsohmat, another independent candidate, will fight the by-poll on the symbol of ‘ring’.
Mawryngkneng constituency is witnessing a five-corner contest in this by-election.
The other contestants include sitting MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem of NPP and Highlander Kharmalki of Congress.
Kharmalki also has the backing of senior Congress MLA Charles Pyngrope who had represented the seat for many years in the past before the seat was taken over by Pyngrope’s son David Nongrum in 2013.
Kharmalki had contested the 2018 Assembly elections on a PDF ticket and secured the second position. The seat was won by David Nongrum of Congress.
The Congress candidate from Mawphlang constituency Kennedy C Khyriem had contested the 2018 polls but lost to independent candidate Syntar Klas Sunn by a margin of 718 votes.
Syiem is the Sohryngkham MDC in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). His district council seat overlaps to a large extent with the Mawryngkneng Assembly constituency. However, when he contested the 2018 state elections, he finished only third.
