TURA, April 30 - The fight for the Tura Lok Sabha seat has gathered momentum with the Congress and the NPP aggressively seeking support from the voters in the crucial plain belt of West Garo Hills. The mainly non-Garo population of the region is expected to play a big role in the upcoming elections.
The Congress high command has reportedly asked all its MLAs and members of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council to work towards ensuring a win for its candidate, Dikkanchi D Shira in the coming bypolls on May 16.
At least three Cabinet Ministers along with several Parliamentary Secretaries are campaigning in their respective constituencies, meeting people and going door-to-door. Dikkanchi also met party workers in different parts of Garo Hills.
A series of online and offline campaign is all set to be launched by the Congress candidate beginning May 1.
Congress has 16 MLAs in the Meghalaya Assembly from Garo Hills region and six independent MLAs who are supporting the Congress. The party also has seven members in the district council.
On the other hand, the National People�s Party (NPP) candidate Conrad K Sangma addressed six election rallies in the plain belt area of West Garo Hills on Friday.
He also addressed an election rally at Raksamgre, where Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had officially kicked off his campaign on Thursday.
Apart from Raksamgre, Conrad addressed rallies at Tikrikilla, Nidanpur, Paham Shyamnagar and Rajabala. �I am very positive with the outcome of the rallies in the plain belt�, said Conrad.
Conrad enjoys the support of former Congress Minister Monirul Islam Sarkar and KC Boro, who have joined the NPP bandwagon.
Sangma is looking to drum up support for his legislator wife, who is pitted against NPP candidate Conrad Kongkal Sangma. He also addressed the media in the Congress Bhawan here on Wednesday.
The CM lashed out at the BJP for allegedly trying to polarise the nation. Mukul said that the Congress would campaign in the election to enlighten the people about the grave danger being faced by the nation as the BJP is dividing the majority and minority.
He stated that if Congress candidate Dikkanchi won the election, she would be able to aid the government in pursuing and pushing the development agenda of the government.
Nomination: The nomination papers of the Congress candidate Dikkanchi D Shira and National People�s Party (NPP) candidate Conrad Sangma for the upcoming May 16 Lok Sabha bypoll were found to be valid during scrutiny today.
The last date for withdrawal of nomination is on May 2.
