Meghalaya ready for Lok Sabha polls

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 15: State’s chief electoral officer (CEO) BDR Tiwari on Friday said that Meghalaya is ready for the general elections to the Lok Sabha.

The state has two parliamentary seats – Shillong and Tura.

“All necessary preparations in respect to the logistics, manpower, training and all other requisite arrangements have already been taken up as per guidance and instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Meghalaya is ready for a very peaceful and more participatory Lok Sabha elections 2024,” Tiwari told reporters.

He informed that his office has done a lot of IEC activities and the SVEEP activities are also ongoing. “Now, we are more focusing on the polling station wise and we have also worked out an implementation plan and accordingly we are engaging the local institutions and all stakeholders including stakeholders, public, students,” he said.

Stating that the electoral literacy clubs are being activated, Tiwari said, “We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the education department to focus more on the youth.”

“Traditional methods like village announcement systems, involvement of dorbars (are being taken up) so that people can come forward to cast their votes,” he said while adding the state is hopeful that the voting percentage this time will increase when compared to the 2019 elections.

There are over 22.70 lakh voters in Meghalaya.

On the law-and-order aspect, the CEO said that state machinery is fully geared up to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.

“We are doing all necessary arrangements in respect to law and order. It is already taken from the police side and we are in touch with all district authorities and even with the bordering districts also.

Arrangement for the expenditure monitoring and all those things to make the election inducement free and to keep the law and order situation totally in control,” he said.

“And to conduct the peaceful election, the state machinery is fully geared up and we are focusing on the better arrangement of assured minimum facilities so that voters will get facilitated and they can cast their votes in a happy and healthy environment,” he added further.

Meghalaya NPP begins campaign trail from Adokgre

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 15: In continuation of the tradition started by (L) Purno Agitok Sangma, the National Peoples’ Party today kicked off its poll campaign from Adokgre in North Garo Hills.

Adokgre, named as “Chenanggre” or land of victory, has been the ground for the campaign for Purno Sangma. In 2016, Conrad K. Sangma, took over as National President of the party and has continued the tradition, which is over 30 plus years now.

All bigwigs of the party including State President Prestone Tynsong, Rajya Sabha MP Dr W.R. Kharlukhi, State Working President Marcuise Marak, and a host of other party leaders assembled at Adokgre to kick off the poll campaign.

Both the candidates Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh for Shillong Lok Sabha and Agatha K. Sangma for Tura Lok Sabha were present at the campaign.

Speaking on the occasion, National President of NPP and Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K. Sangma said, “Be it MP, MLA or MDC elections, our father P A Sangma always began his campaign from Adokgre because he believed in victory and hence the name of Chenanggre. It used to start from a small rostom in the field, and today we stand before you from a stadium fulfilling our leader’s dreams.”

He said that Meghalaya in general, and Garo Hills in particular, has witnessed a mass transformation in the last six years. “Earlier, if roads were good then the belief was that the area belonged to Assam, while bad roads indicated Garo Hills. That is no longer the case,” he said.

Seeking votes in favour of Agatha, the NPP chief asked “Today the daughter of P A Sangma stands before you seeking your support. We cannot forget Late P A Sangma.”

He said that this election is important for NPP and expressed confidence the margin of victory will surpass that of the 1.90 lakh victory margin bestowed on him when he contested the by-poll following the death of P A Sangma in 2016.

“I am confident we will have the biggest margin of victory in this election which will be nothing short of 2.50 lakh or even 3 lakh margin,” a confident Conrad Sangma announced.

ECI to announces LS poll dates; Meghalaya to go to polls in first phase on April 19

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 15: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for the general elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies 2024 on March 16.

Meghalaya has two parliamentary seats – Shillong and Tura. 

Most of the political parties have announced their respective candidates for both the seats. 

The candidates for the Shillong seat include sitting Congress MP Vincent H Pala, NPP leader and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, RDA candidate Robertjune Kharjahrin, VPP general secretary Ricky AJ Syngkon and NEHU prof Lakhon Kma. 

The candidates for Tura parliamentary seat include sitting NPP MP Agatha K Sangma, Congress legislator from Gambegre Saleng A Sangma, former TMC legislator from Rangsakona Zenith M Sangma. 

With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the poll dates for the General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha on Saturday, the two seats in Meghalaya – Shillong and Tura – will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19. The results will be declared on June 4.

The Shillong seat, with 13,14,036 electorates as per the 2021 data, will witness a tight contest, among the incumbent Vincent H Pala of the Indian National Congress (INC), who is a consecutively three-time winner, former Congress woman, M Ampareen Lyngdoh, now an NPP minister in the ruling dispensation, a former civil society group leader Robertjune Kharjahrin representing a regional party conglomerate consisting of United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP)-coined Regional Democratic Alliance, Dr. Ricky J Syngkon, a college teacher of the infantile Voice of the People’s Party (VPP).
In Tura, where sitting MP Agatha Sangma, a five-times MP and the youngest minister ever to be in the Union government, will face insignificant challenge from the INC’s Saleng Sangma, and a challenger from the BJP. The Tura seat has 10,11,676 electorates as per the 2021 data.

Meghalaya AITC likely to field George for Low Sabha seat

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Aug 30: Opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) is likely to field former Umroi legislator George B Lyngdoh as its candidate for the Shillong parliamentary seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to be held next year.

Speaking to media persons today, AITC state president Charles Pyngrope informed that his party has decided to contest from both Shillong and Tura parliamentary seats.

“For Shillong region, it is my personal opinion but it will depend on the entire party’s hierarchy, I feel George Lyngdoh will be a very good candidate,” said Pyngrope, who is the lone AITC legislator from Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.

He however added, “From Garo Hills, I leave it to the wisdom of the parliamentary party leader Dr Mukul Sangma to take the final call.”

Stating that he is yet to discuss the matter with the party high command, the Nongthymmai legislator said, “In fact I had spoken to the general secretary in-charge Manas Ranjan Bhunia this morning asking him for a meeting and perhaps either he will come or I will go to Kolkata and finalise the modalities on how we go about it (preparation for the LS polls).”

He said that the party will also have to agree on certain issues before giving a go ahead as it already has candidates for the upcoming elections.

Commenting on his former party colleague and now BJP leader and former MLA of Mawsynram Himalaya Shangpliang to join the ruling NPP ahead of the LS polls, Pyngrope said, “He (Shangpliang) is free to go to any political party that he desires. There is no constitutional barrier that can stop him from doing so. Therefore, if he feels that he wants to go and join the NPP then it is his prerogative.

The NPP will have to fight the parliamentary seats so if they are looking at Himalaya to be the candidate I find there is nothing wrong in that.”

Mawrie eyes Lok Sabha seat

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 4: BJP state President Ernest Mawrie has stated that he is ready to be the candidate of the party from the Shillong parliamentary seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

“As president of the party, if the party decides, I am ready to be the candidate of the party for the Lok Sabha election from the Shillong seat. I will not deny the decision of the party,” Mawrie told reporters today.

He however informed that the party is yet to discuss the candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state while reacting to reports that top leaders including M Kharkrang and HM Shangpliang are vying for the party ticket for the election.

The party has formed the Lok Sabha Prabhas and it will be headed by the state general secretary GC Nongbet as convener and there will be three co-conveners.

“Our main intention is to strengthen the party. The Lok Sabha Prabhas will go to each and every constituency to strengthen the organization,” he said.

Mawrie said it is too early now to identify the candidates since the party has one year to prepare adding “But we will look for winnable candidates as we are serious to win in both the seats – Shillong and Tura.”