The National People’s Party (NPP), a regional group formed by former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma, and an ally of the BJP, has won the Williamnagar Assembly seat in Meghalaya on Tuesday. Election to the seat was postponed after the killing of the Nationalist Congress Party candidate in February.
The victory has taken the NPP’s individual tally to 20 in the 60-member House with an effective strength of 59 after former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma of Congress gave up Ampati, one of the two seats he had won.
NPP candidate Marcuise N. Marak got 9,558 votes — 37.5% of the total votes cast.
Independent candidate Sengbath R. Marak came second with 4,698 votes, while former Congress Minister Deborah C. Marak finished third with 4,517 votes. Mark, the widow of slain Nationalist Congress Party leader Jonathone N. Sangma who was expected to gain sympathy votes, came fourth with 4,009 votes.
Election in Williamnagar had to be adjourned after extremists killed Mr. Sangma by blowing up his vehicle a week ahead of the polls on February 27. Mr Sangma was an NCP candidate of NCP, which later decided to field his wife.
“The challenge of living up to the expectations of the people begins now,” said Mr. Marak, who had won the Rongrenggiri seat as an NCP candidate in 2008, after the result was declared.
Apart from the NPP’s 20 MLAs and BJP’s two, the alliance constituents have six MLAs of the United Democratic Party, four from the People’s Democratic Front, two from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party, one from the NCP and two independents.
