Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s wife Mehtab Chandee Sangma appears to be the front runner for the NPP ticket to contest the Assembly election from Gambegre constituency.
It may be mentioned that Gambegre seat fell vacant after the resignation of sitting Congress MLA Saleng A. Sangma on June 10 following his election as Lok Sabha MP from the Tura parliamentary seat.
However, the Election Commission has yet to announce the date for the by-poll. The by-election has to be held within six months and therefore it could be held sometime within this year.
It may be noted that Conrad’s elder brother James Sangma had said that he had no intention of contesting in the Gambegre by-polls. He also said that he had communicated this stance in party meetings and internal discussions.
“To clarify and settle the matter once and for all: I have had no intention of contesting in the Gambegre bye-polls. During party meetings and internal communication, I have clarified this stance as well,” James said in a statement issued yesterday.
According to NPP sources, there were around ten contenders for party ticket to contest the Gambegre by-poll.
It was learnt that the party’s election committee in its meeting held here on June 27 had shortlisted four names for the by-election and the final candidate is expected to be announced shortly.
Sources also said that Mehtab Chandee Sangma is also among the four shortlisted names.
“There are possibilities that she (Mehtab) may be selected as the candidate,” NPP sources added.
Other political parties are also trying to find candidates to contest the Gambegre by-election.
The Congress is examining the possibility of fielding Jingjang M. Marak as the candidate. Marak is a close aide of Saleng Sangma.
The Trinamool Congress is likely to put up Zenith Sangma’s wife Sadhiarani M. Sangma for the by-poll given that she had contested from the seat twice in the past and lost by a small margin.
Sadhiarani is the sitting MDC from Dengnakpara constituency. She had also contested the 2023 Assembly election from Gambegre against Saleng Sangma and lost by a margin of 2,871 votes.
Saleng secured 11,252 votes as against Sadhiarani’s 8,381 votes. NPP’s Rakesh Sangma bagged only 7,628 votes.
Meanwhile, State BJP vice president and Tura MDC, Bernard N. Marak, has expressed his readiness to contest the Gambegre by-poll if the party nominates him.
