Campaigning for the deferred Sohiong Assembly seat will end at 4pm on Monday.
Due to the demise of veteran politician HDR Lyngdoh on February 20, voting had to be postponed to May 10. Votes will be counted on May 13.
Campaigning for the Sohiong seat saw an intense war of words between Meghalaya Democratic Alliance partners the National People’s Party (NPP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP), which Lyngdoh.
The NPP was aggressive in its words, saying that the UDP could find itself kicked out of the coalition after the results are declared. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had also warned voters that not picking the NPP’s Samlin Malngiang could see the constituency lose out on development works.
There are more than 34,000 voters in Sohiong and 63 polling stations, which will be overseen by over 300 polling officials.
Five companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) have been deployed for the polling.
Additionally, the election department has deployed all-women flying squads to check home-brewed liquor production in Sohiong, which is known for its production of local alcoholic beverages.
There are six candidates are in the fray for the seat – Synshar Lyngdoh Thabah of the UDP, Malngiang of the NPP, S Osborne Kharjana from Congress, Sandondor Ryntathiang of the HSPDP, Seraph E Kharbuki of the BJP, and Stodingstar Thabah from the Trinamool Congress.
Malngiang had won the 2018 polls on an HSPDP ticket but quit the party in January to contest from the NPP.
