The victory of the NPP in the Gambegre Assembly by-election is historic for the party.
The by-election was held on November 13 after the sitting MLA, Saleng Sangma, vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha from the Tura constituency.
The by-election recorded a high voter turnout of 90.93 per cent, with 33,088 voters casting their votes.
With this win, the State has seen the second time that a political party gained the majority on its own in the State Assembly.
In 1972, the APHLC secured the maximum number of 32 MLAs in the 60-member House and formed the first government in the State.
The first political boost to the NPP occurred on May 7, 2023 when two PDF MLAs – Banteidor Lyngdoh and Gavin M. Mylliem merged with the NPP.
On August 19 this year, the NPP’s strength in the Assembly got another boost as three Congress MLAs – Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh, Gabriel Wahlang and Charles Marngar joined the ruling party increasing its strength to 31. The joining of the three MLAs solidified the NPP’s growing influence in the State.
However, the win in Gambegre serves as a major political boost for the NPP, consolidating its presence in the State and strengthening the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
NPP secured 42.1 per cent of the votes in the Gambegre by-poll while the closest rival Trinamool Congress bagged a vote share of only 26.84 per cent. The Congress managed to get a vote share of just 25.55 per cent.
The victory also highlights the increasing political dominance of the NPP in the State especially in Garo Hills region.
The results of the Gambegre by-poll are likely to shape the political dynamics in Meghalaya in the times to come.
The strength of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) has now gone up to 48.
Besides the NPP’s 32 MLAs, the ruling coalition constituents include UDP which has 12 members, HSPDP two and BJP two besides two independents.
