Electoral fortunes of ten candidates in Meghalaya

The electoral fortune of the ten candidates contesting for the two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya will be decided tomorrow when 10,80,845 votes polled on April 9. The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for counting of votes for the two seats in Meghalaya - Shillong and Tura - will be held on Friday from 0800 hours onwards. Meghalaya chief electoral officer (CEO) Prashant Naik today told reporters that the counting would be held amid tight security and under CCTV surveillance in all the counting centres. He said counting of votes in the two constituencies would be held in as many as 13 centres. For Shillong constituency, the counting will be conducted in the headquarters of the six districts and two civil subdivisions in the Khasi hills while for Tura constituency, the counting will be held in five centres at the headquarters of the five districts in the Garo hills. Among the ten candidates, former Lok Sabha Speaker and National People's Party candidate Purno Agitok Sangma is in a straight contest against a 27-year-old Congress candidate Daryl William Cheran Momin in Tura parliamentary constituency. Agatha K.Sangma, the youngest Indian parliamentarian in the current Lok Sabha has opted out of the electoral politics to make way for her father and NPP chief. Mr Sangma is supported by the United Democratic Party, Garo National Council and also by some Independent legislators. In Shillong parliamentary seat, there are eight candidates, including a lone woman contestant Ivoryna Shylla, who is fighting the election as an Independent candidate after she quit the BJP. Other prominent candidates include former Union Minister and Congress' nominee Vincent H.Pala, United Democratic Party Paul Lyngdoh, Bharatiya Janata Party Shibun Lyngdoh, and P.B.M. Basaiawmoit (Independents) are the others candidates in the fray from Shillong constituency. The Nationalist Congress Party which has two legislators in he Meghalaya Assembly did not field any candidate and is supporting the Congress candidates after Ms Agatha quit the party. Moreover, the opposition Hill State People's Democratic Party with four legislators along with another regional party the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement has supported Mr Basaiawmoit, while Mr Lyngdoh is supported by the National People's Party.