Shillong, Oct 5: The BJP, which is a constituent of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, will contest in one of the three by-elections in the state slated for October 30, while the opposition Congress decided to fight in all the three seats, party leaders said on Monday.
A BJP spokesperson said the party nominated Kingstone Marak, vice-president of its West Garo Hills district unit, for the Rajabala constituency. His name was selected at a meeting of the state election committee, attended by BJP national vice-president and state in-charge Chuba Ao. The Congress has decided to contest in all the three seats - Rajabala, Mawryngkneng and Mawphlang. The AICC has approved the candidature of Highlander Kharmalki from Mawryngkneng, Kennedy C Khyriem (former MLA) from Mawphlang and Hashina Yasmin Mondal from Rajabala, a senior party leader said.
While Khyriem is a former MLA, the other two are new faces. Mawryngkneng and Rajabala seats were earlier represented by the Congress. The by-polls in the three assembly constituencies were necessitated by the deaths of sitting legislators. The United Democratic Party had earlier announced that former Indian footballer Eugeneson Lyngdoh is its candidate for the Mawphlang seat which was held by his father SK Sunn.
