The moves by the NPP to give ticket to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s wife Mehtab Chandee Sangma to contest the Assembly be-election from Gambegre constituency has met strong resistance from the chief minister’s brother James Sangma.
According to sources, James Sangma who wanted to contest the by-election has conveyed his unhappiness with the moves to allot a party ticket to Mehtab Chandee Sangma.
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.
The Election Commission has not announced the date for the Gambegre by-poll. However, the by-election has to be held within six months and therefore it could be held sometime within this year.
NPP sources said that the party is weighing the options of fielding Conrad Sangma’s wife Mehtab Chandee and his brother James Sangma for the Gambegre by-poll.
“The party is looking at the two options. But the matter will be finalised after thorough discussions and consultations including assessing the ground realities,” NPP sources said.
Moreover, the Congress buoyed by its landslide victory in the Lok Sabha polls from most Assembly constituencies in Garo Hills including Gambegre is examining the possibility of fielding Jingjang M. Marak as the candidate for the Gambegre by-election. Marak is a close aide of Saleng Sangma.
There are also rumours that senior Congress leader Deborah Marak may be the party candidate for the by-poll.
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-polls if the party nominates him.
