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Williamnagar bypoll date announced

By Staff Correspondent

SHILLONG, April 2 - Election Commission has announced April 27 as the date of polling for the Williamnagar bypolls, which was earlier countermanded.

Meghalaya Chief Election Officer, Fredrick Roy Kharkongor, informed here today that the counting of votes would be held on May 1. �The poll date has been fixed on April 27 and the counting would be held on May 1,� he said.

Only the Nationalist Congress Party would be filing the nominations as the party candidate Jonathone Sangma was killed during the election campaign in an IED blast. The rest of the candidates would be as per the last nominations filed for the Assembly elections.

The other candidates already in the fray are Deborah Marak of Congress, Mahamsing Sangma (UDP), Marcuise N Marak (NPP), Santhosh R Marak (BJP) and four Independent candidates.

Khargonkor said, the last date of filing of nomination for the NCP candidate is April 10. Scrutiny of papers would be held the next day and the last date for withdrawal has been fixed on April 13.

NCP has earlier said that the widow of Jonathone Sangma, Krenilla Marak, would be contesting the polls on party ticket.

The seat is held by Congress candidate and former Cabinet Minister Deborah. The Congress candidate was in the eye of the storm as she was accused by late NCP candidate for using militants for her poll campaign before he was murdered.

An FIR was filed by the election agent of Deborah against some persons for accusing the Congress candidate for being instrumental for the murder of the NCP candidate.

In the aftermath of the death of Jonathone, the family members of the Congress candidate were shifted here to the State Capital from Williamnagar on the advice of security agencies due to threat perceptions.

Meanwhile, the by-poll to the Ampati constituency has not been announced. �No date for Ampati has been fixed,� Khargonkor said, although it was thought that both the Williamnagar and Ampati polls would be held on the same date.

The Ampati bye-poll has been necessitated after former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma quit the seat following his victory from two seats � Songsak and Ampati.

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