SHILLONG, JUNE 4: In a major shocker, Meghalaya gave ‘Thumbs down’ to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) backed NPP in the state. After a gap of 33 years, the family of Late PA Sangma looses its stronghold over its bastion Tura Parliamentary seat.
While, the Indian National Congress (INC) wins the Tura parliamentary seats, the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) snatch away the Shillong seat.
Breaking the decades old legacy, Saleng A Sangma of the Indian National Congress defeated Tura MP Agatha Sangma by a massive margin of over 1.55 lakh votes of the total 6.74 lakh voters.
Agatha secured over 2.28 lakh votes of the 8 lakh plus eligible voters of Tura Lok Sabha constituency having 24 Assembly constituencies.
The ruling NPP, despite having 18 legislators from Garo Hills, could not save P.A. Sangma’s bastion, which his family had been holding since 1977.
In 1989, P.A. Sangma became the chief minister of Meghalaya. Being the leader of Congress legislature party, he recommended another Congress candidate, Sanford Marak, to contest from Tura.
However, in 1991, P.A. Sangma once again contested from this seat and emerged victorious. Since then, the Sangma family has never let anyone set eyes on this seat. Apart from the Sangma patriarch, son Conrad held Tura once and daughter Agatha had won it twice.
In Shillong, Ricky AJ Syngkon of the opposition Voice of the People’s Party defeated three times sitting MP Vincent H Pala of the Congress by a massive margin of over 3.7 lakh votes.
Chief electoral officer (CEO) Dr BDR Tiwari said Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon secured 5071078 votes while Vincent H Pala got 199168 votes.
Dr Ampareen Lyngdoh of National People’s Party secured 186488 votes, Roberjune Kharjahrin from UDP secured 44563 votes, Prof Lakhon Kma independent candidate secured 18582 votes and Peter Challam independent secured 7024 votes.
All together there are 11008 has gone for NOTA, total rejected votes 646 votes.
He said in Tura PC, Saleng A Sangma from INC secured 383919 votes, Agatha K Sangma of NPP secured 228678 votes, Zenith M Sangma of TMC secured 48709 votes, Laben Ch Marak independent secured 6910 votes, total 5840 votes gone for NOTA and 603 votes are rejected.
“Saleng A Sangma has defeated the NPP candidate Agatha K Sangma by margin of 155241 votes,” he said.
The CEO said, “Entire voting process has gone very smooth and very peacefully and there was no incident of re-poll anywhere. No violence anywhere reported and the entire process has gone very smoothly.”
“The state has 76.6 percent voters has used their franchise to vote, and PC wise it was 73.78 in Shillong and 81.37 in Tura. The overall voting was highest ever in any parliamentary election in the state,” he added.