SHILLONG, Aug 27 - Finally, the Chief Minister�s job in Meghalaya has been �regularised� after Conrad Sangma won the South Tura Assembly seat with a thumping margin, while five-time MLA, MM Danggo bowed out from Ranikor constituency.
Sangma won the South Tura seat by 8,420 votes. The Congress� Charlotte Momin came a distant second with 5,235 votes. John Leslee K Sangma and Chris Kabul A Sangma (both Independents) could garner 2,211 and 897 votes.
However, in Ranikor, NPP�s Danggo couldn�t weave his magic after he quit the Congress in June this year and lost to UDP�s Pius Marwein by 2,896 votes. Marwein secured 13,183 votes while Dangoo got 10,287. The Congress candidate secured just 938 votes and PDF�s PN Syiem 1,978 votes.
The Congress has a lot of rethinking to do as it has lost from both the constituencies. Now, the NPP and Congress both have 20 seats each in the 60-member Assembly.
The UDP has also raised its tally from seven to eight with today�s victory. The party may demand its share of the election spoil with a Cabinet berth.
�We are happy with the CM�s victory margin. In Ranikor our alliance partner has won, so again we are happy as it has strengthened the alliance. The Congress candidate in Ranikor has lost his security deposit,� WR Kharlukhi, NPP president said after the victory.
On the other hand, Jemino Mawthoh, general secretary UDP, reiterated the alliance has been only strengthened further. �These speculations about UDP leaving the alliance have no basis. We will be together. This win will also strengthen the regional parties,� he said.
Meanwhile, Sangma, as per norms, can retain both the Assembly and Lok Sabha seat for just eleven days and has to resign from one of the two seats during this period.
Tura Lok Sabha seat would fall vacant once Sangma resigns. According to election rules a seat cannot remain vacant for more than six months.
However, since the 2019 elections is just around the corner and a little over six months, sources said, the Election Commission may not hold a bye-elction and the polls would be held together with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
