TURA, MAY 15: The countdown for Purno Agitok Sangma’s successor will begin tomorrow at 7 am as northeast India’s most prestigious seat – the Tura Lok Sabha constituency in Meghalaya’s Garo hills goes for the bye-election.
In the battle, Purno’s youngest son Conrad K. Sangma, who represents National People’s Party (NPP) is pitted against Congress candidate Dikkanchi D. Shira, wife of Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma and sitting legislator from Mahendraganj.
In 2012, Purno had floated the NPP to champion the cause of the tribal.
The onus to the lead the party is on Conrad’s shoulder, the present national president of the party. The bye-election is a litmus test for NPP, which has two MLAs in the 60 members Meghalaya legislative assembly.
Conrad is banking on his father illustrious career, where he (Purno) had never lost an election. Purno had represented the Tura Lok Sabha since 1977 for 10 consecutive terms.
In 2008 bye-election and 2009 general election, Conrad’s younger sister Agatha K. Sangma represented Tura Lok Sabha constituency, when Purno had returned to state politics.
The campaign, which lasted for about three weeks, was interesting as both the candidates travelled across the 24 assembly constituencies, which comprises the Tura parliamentary constituency.
This battle is a fight for legacy and political supremacy.
The Congress party, which has 22 MLAs from Garo hills, is banking on the state government’s development agenda, while NPP on the deeds of the “king of the Garos”, as late Purno is fondly remembered and described by the people.
In the past Congress party had fielded Mukul Sangma, Deborah Marak, Zenith Sangma and Daryl William Momin, grandson of founding chief minister of Meghalaya captain Williamson A. Sangma.
None were able to unseat Purno nor his daughter Agatha Sangma.
This time around, the Congress party is upbeat to wrestle the seat from the “Purno Sangma family”, which was evident in the campaign as all legislators from the Congress party led by the chief minister Mukul Sangma was all out slamming former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Sangma, who had a glorious stint as a parliamentarian.
Today Mukul Sangma is seen as one of the tallest leader from Garo hills after Williamson Sangma and Purno Sangma. After Purno left the Congress in 1999 on the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin, Mukul has been an archrival of Purno.
The bye-election is being keenly watched, as it is a fight between Purno’s legacy and Mukul’s political stewardship.
Both the contesting candidates – Conrad and Dikkanch-i are not novice in politics.
From 2008 – 2009, Conrad had been Meghalaya’s finance and power minister and between 2009-2013, opposition leader in the state, while Dikkanchi is a sitting legislator, wife of chief minister and daughter of former Meghalaya speaker late Ira R. Marak.
The BJP is supporting the NPP candidate.
Interestingly, the BJP dominated the campaign as Congress made scatting attack on the party for being anti-Muslim and anti-Christian. NPP is an alliance partner of the BJP led NDA.-From Our Correspondent
Chart matter
Total electorates: 6,22,189
Male: 3,15,255
Female: 3,06,934
Total polling station: 945
Hyper sensitive: 410
Sensitive: 126
Normal: 382
Security: 19 companies of CAPFs and 10 additional companies
Highest voters: Rongrengre (Williamnagar)
Lowest voters: Nengsrang Adugre (Williamnagar)
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