Exactly one week before the State goes to polls, UDP candidate and former Home Minister Horju Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh passed away today due to cardiac arrest.
It may be mentioned that Lyngdoh popularly known as Maheh is seeking for a return to politics from Sohiong constituency considered as his bastion for many years.
Reports said that Lyngdoh collapsed and lost consciousness during an election meeting at Mawmaram.
He was immediately rushed to Bethany Hospital here at 4 pm and died from cardiac arrest later.
As per Election Commission of India rules, when a candidate dies before polling, the election in that particular constituency stands deferred. Therefore, it is clear that the February 27 Assembly elections in the State will be held in only 59 seats.
Chief Electoral Officer, Frederick Roy Kharkongor said that he had informed the Election Commission about the death of the UDP candidate and it is expected that the notification regarding postponement of the election in Sohiong constituency would be issued in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has condoled the death of Lyngdoh.
“Saddened by the sudden demise of former Minister & senior politician of the State, Shri H D R Lyngdoh. Shri Lyngdoh served the state in different capacities over the years & was a dedicated leader to the people. His demise is a great loss to Meghalaya. May his soul rest in peace,” Sangma tweeted.
Lyngdoh contested the last Assembly elections in 2018 on Congress ticket but lost to Samlin Malngiang of HSPDP.
He first won the Assembly elections in 1988 from the HSPDP and continued till 1998. In the 1998 polls, he was defeated by Raine Augustine Lyngdoh of the UDP.
In 1999, he got elected as the MDC from Sohiong-Nongspung constituency on the Congress ticket.
The veteran politician again won the 2003 Assembly elections and retained the Sohiong seat for 15 years till 2018.
Lyngdoh served as the Home Minister in the D D Lapang government from 2003 to 2008 and also during the Mukul Sangma led government from 2013 to 2018.
