Former minister James K. Sangma has sought to withdraw his election petition filed in the Meghalaya High Court against current Dadenggre MLA Rupa Marak.
It may be mentioned that Marak of the Trinamool Congress defeated Sangma by a margin of 18 votes in the Assembly elections held on February 27, 2023.
However, Sangma challenged the election of Marak in the High Court stating that Marak did not mention one of his bank accounts in the affidavit when he applied for nominations.
The election petition was filed in May 2023 and the High Court took up the case since then with many hearings held.
However, last week, Sangma filed an application under Section 109 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, for withdrawal of Election Petition No. 7 of 2023, duly supported by an affidavit.
The High Court bench of Justice Hamar Singh Thangkhiew directed that a notice of the withdrawal petition should be published in the Gazette of Meghalaya within two weeks.
The court also listed the matter for hearing on September 2 for passing its order on the plea by Sangma for withdrawal of his election petition.
As per Section 109 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, the election petition can be withdrawn with the permission of the High Court and also after the notice fixing a date for the hearing of the application is given to all other parties to the petition and published in the Official Gazette.
Despite losing the 2023 election, Sangma, a former MLA of the NPP who won thrice in the past was appointed as chairman of Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
The former Dadenggre MLA is also the elder brother of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Recently, he announced in the media that he had no intention to contest the Assembly by-election from Gambegre which fell vacant after sitting Congress MLA Saleng Sangma was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tura parliamentary seat.
