The victory of the UDP candidate Synshar Lyngdoh Thabah in Sohiong Assembly constituency has been attributed to his main campaigner.
Thabah defeated the NPP’s nominee Samlin Malngiang by over 3,400 votes. Thabah reportedly garnered 16,679 votes with about 51 per cent vote share as against Malngiang’s 13,257 votes with 41.22 per cent votes.
There were six candidates in the fray, but the rest of them ended up far behind NOTA which secured 272 votes. BJP’s Seraph Eric Kharbuki got just 40 votes with 0.12 per cent votes polled in his favour.
The election saw a turnout of 91.87 per cent of the total 34,783 voters in all 63 polling stations, a figure much higher than the previous years.
As UDP supporters in Sohiong erupted into celebrations after the Assembly election results, one man who was praised for leading a spirited campaign was Amazing Kurbah.
Right from the start of the campaigning, Kurbah who hails from Rangshken village left no stone unturned to galvanise the voters in support of Thabah.
He was the crowd puller at most UDP rallies in Sohiong constituency. His fiery speeches and political counterpoints added with humour and wit have earned him cheers and applause from the audience at all public meetings in the constituency.
Kurbah also made it a point at all campaign meetings to hit out at the NPP and its candidate Samlin Malngiang. Some of his speeches have earned the ire of NPP supporters.
“My opponents called me Myrsing (fox). But I’m not surprised at all. Amazing is always amazing,” he said at an election rally.
That was perhaps the reason that soon after the poll results were announced yesterday at the State Central Library premises, UDP supporters carried Kurbah on their shoulders and chanted the victory song.
With this victory, the regional party UDP’s tally has risen to 12 in the 60-member Assembly, which is double its number in the previous House.