Electioneering for the by-election to the three Assembly constituencies in the state, held amidst Covid-19 guidelines, came to an end today evening.
The by-polls for the Mawryngkneng, Mawphlang and Rajabala seats are all scheduled for October 30, with the counting of votes on November 2.
The National People’s Party (NPP) and the Congress have fielded their candidates in all three seats, while the United Democratic Party (UDP) – alliance partner of the NPP – is contesting from Mawphlang and Rajabala and the BJP from Rajabala only.
Chief Minister and NPP leader Conrad Sangma campaigned for his party’s candidates, while for the Congress Shillong MP Vincent Pala campaigned in all the three seats while leader of the opposition, Dr Mukul Sangma and his brother Zenith Sangma camped in Rajabala. UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh also campaigned for his candidates.
Altogether, there are 13 aspirants in the fray. Women voters outnumbered their male counterparts in all the three Assembly constituencies.
According to the latest voters’ list, Mawryngkneng has 60 polling stations and a total of 36,751 voters, which include 18,986 female voters and 17,765 male voters.
In Mawphlang, there are 50 polling booths with a total of 33,194 voters – 17,475 female and 15,719 male voters.
Rajabala has 58 polling booths and a total of 32,750 voters. There are 16,645 female and 16,105 male voters there.
The by-elections in the three seats were necessitated following the deaths of the sitting MLAs – David A Nongrum (Congress) of Mawryngkneng, Dr Azad Zaman (Congress) of Rajabala both Congress and SK Sun of Mawphlang (independent but later an ‘associate member’ of the UDP).
In Mawryngkneng, the Congress is fielding Highlander Kharmalki. Others in the fray are Pyniaid Sing Syiem of the NPP, and three independents, Esron Marwein, Norbert Marboh and Arbiangkam Kharsohmat.
In Mawphlang there are three candidates – ex-star footballer Eugeneson Lyngdoh of the UDP, former MLA Kennedy Cornelius Khyriem of the Congress and KHADC MDC Lamphrang Blah from the NPP.
Meanwhile, in Rajabala constituency there are five candidates – Ashahel D Shira (UDP), Kingstone B Marak (BJP), Carla R Sangma (independent), Hasina Yasmin Mondal (Congress) and Abdus Saleh (NPP).
