The Congress established comfortable lead in Meghalaya while the National People’s Party is close to emerging as the runner-up. The UDP and HSPDP have opened account in the new Assembly.
When the new year dawned, the elections in Meghalaya was a direct contest between the national players — the Congress and BJP. As days passed, it became a multi-cornered fight with the United Democratic Party (UDP) and National People’s Party (NPP) turning rivals.
It is essentially the battle of the Sangmas in Meghalaya. While Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is seeking another term, NPP chief Conrad Sangma, son of former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma, is also vying for the post.
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Meghalaya elects a hung Assembly with ruling Congress emerging as single largest party with 21 seats, according to the recent tally.
"No question of BJP engaging in horse-trading in Meghalaya where ruling Congress has failed to win majority," says BJP party president Amit Shah.
Tally at 4 pm:
The Congress is likely to emerge as the single largest party by winning 13 seats and leading in 8. The NPP has emerged second largest party with 8 seats and leading in 11.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the election results were not on expected lines and he would keep his cards close to his chest with regard to the Congress forming government in the state.
Sangma’s comments came as the trends suggested Meghalaya was heading for a hung Assembly.
The Congress has won 12 seats so far and is leading in another 9, trends show NPP is ahead in 19 seats. The Meghalaya voters have chosen a hung Assembly once again.
The BJP, for the first time, has won two seats — South Shillong and Pynthorumkhrah.
The Hill State People’s Democratic Party too secured two seats, and so did two independent candidates.
Hill State People’s Democratic Party has won seat and Nationalist Congress Party is likely to get one too.
The UDP is reduced to six and People's Democratic Front 4.
It is these smaller parties and independents who will decide the future of Meghalaya Assembly now.
To form the government, 32 MLAs are needed.
The National People’s Party (NPP) on Saturday exuded confidence that the party would form the next government in Meghalaya saying the people of the Northeastern state were looking for a change.
The National People’s Party (NPP) today exuded confidence that the party would form the next government in Meghalaya.
Conrad Sangma, son of veteran leader late P.A. Sangma, said results were still coming but the NPP will be in a position to form the government with the help of other parties.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to form the government. People are fed up with the corrupt Congress government and looking for a change,” he told PTI.
Both the children of P.A. Sangma are leading. While James Sangma is leading in Dadenggre, his sister Agatha K. Sangma is leading South Tura.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has won from both Ampati and Songsak.
Meghalaya - Ampati | ||
Result Declared | ||
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
| DR. MUKUL SANGMA | Indian National Congress | 16721 |
| BAKUL CH. HAJONG | Bharatiya Janata Party | 8617 |
| JOYANTO K MARAK | Independent | 546 |
| None of the Above | None of the Above | 208 |
Meghalaya - Songsak | ||
Result Declared | ||
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
| DR. MUKUL SANGMA | Indian National Congress | 10274 |
| NIHIM D SHIRA | National People's Party | 8444 |
| THOMAS N. MARAK | Bharatiya Janata Party | 3077 |
| ARUN N MARAK | United Democratic Party | 800 |
| FARDINA C. MARAK | Independent | 464 |
| SILMAN MARAK | Nationalist Congress Party | 405 |
| SANDHYA R. MARAK | Independent | 274 |
| None of the Above | None of the Above | 216 |
Prominent candidates:
Agatha Sangma (NPP) - South Tura - Trailing
James P K Sangma (NPP) - Dadenggre - Leading
Donkupur Roy (UDP) - Shella - Leading
Congress has won five seats so far. Mazel Ampareen Lyndoh (East Shillong), David A Nongrum (Mawryngkneng), Gigur Myrthong (Mawshynrut), Kimfa Sidney Marbaniang (Rambrai Jyrngam), apart from Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has won from Songsak and is leading in Ampati.
Congress has also won in West Shillong. Mohendro Rapsang has polled 10288 votes, while his rival Paul Lyngdoh got 8304 votes.
Independent candidate from Nongkrem Assembly constituency Lambor Malngiang won defeating HSPDP candidate A M Basaiawmoit. He got 8274 votes while his nearest rival secured 8198 votes.
Another Independent candidate has won in Meghalaya. Syntar Klas Sunn has won from Mawphlang.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is leading in both Ampati and Songsak Assembly seats. At Songsak the lead is 2000 votes and in Ampati the lead is 8000.
Adelbert Nongrum of Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement has won from North Shillong.
Meghalaya PWD minister Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh has won from East Shillong. She secured 10368 votes defeating BJP N A War who secured 4293 votes.
An independent has won from Nongkrem. Lambor Malngiang has secured 8274 votes, just 76 votes more than his nearest rival. Three more independents are leading in the State.
With election trends projecting that the Congress could emerge as the single-largest party in Meghalaya, the party has rushed two senior leaders to the northeastern State to explore possibilities of forming a government.
According to sources, senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong to work out possible tie-ups with independents in Meghalaya to form a government there.
The Congress is poised to win from Rajabala. It's candidate Dr. Azad Zaman has polled 7375 votes.
First results in Meghalaya goes to the Hill State People's Democratic Party. Samlin Malngiang of HSPDP wins Sohiong defeating his nearest rival H. Donkupar R. Lyngdoh of the Congress by 622 votes.
Brolding Nongsiej of UDP has won from Mawthadraishan. He has defeated his nearest rival Biolinda L.Nonglait of HSPDP.
And UDP wins another seat too. Metbah Lyngdoh of UDP has won from Mairang.
A clear picture is emerging in Meghalaya where status is known in 58 out of 59 constituencies that went to polls.
The National Peoples Party is leading in 14 seats, while UDP leads in 5. The BJP and PDF are leading in 5 seats each. The Congress continues to extend its lead in 21. Six independents are leading.
Congress has extended its lead in 20 constituencies while Conrand Sangma's National People's Party is leading in 11 seats.
However, Mr. Sangma's siblings Agatha and James are trailing in South Tura and Dadenggre.
Lazarus Sangma is leading in Chokpot, while Sadhiarani M. Sangma is leading in Gambegre. Both are from Congress.
Wailadmiki Shylla of NPF is leading in Jowai.
As per the latest trends, Congress is leading in 16 seats and NPP in 10 seats. The main opposition party UDP is in a distant third with lead in five seats.
Samuel M. Sangma and Syntar Klas Sunn are two independent candidates leading in Baghmara and Mawphlang.
It appears to be a Congress versus the rest in Meghalaya. At 10 am, the ruling party is leading in 11 seats, while NPF is leading in 4, UDP and PDF in 3 each, BJP in 2.
Paul Lygdoh of UDP is leading in West Shillong while Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh iof Congress is leading in East Shillong.
Congress is leading in five seats. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is leading in Songsak constituency. Dr. Sangma is contesting from Ampati too.
The Congress registered its best performance in 2013 with 29 seats of a maximum of 60. And it helped Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma become the face of the party in the State.
Simultaneously, Dr. Sangma has also challenged the legacy of Purno A. Sangma, former Lok Sabha Speaker who died in March 2016, in the western part of Meghalaya, including the Garo Hills. Mandate 2018 in Meghalaya is as much of a battle for the Congress to retain one of its last bastions in the country as it is for the 53-year-old Dr. Sangma to be the undisputed leader of the Garo Hills, arguably the power centre.
The UDP and Congress are leading in two constituencies each.
Sirgan A. Sangma and Gabriel Wahlang of Congress are leading in Baghmara and Nongstoin respectively.
The first leads and trends are trickling in . In Mairang constituency, the UDP is currently leading.
The UDP is Meghalaya’s principal opposition party. The UDP and NPP are members of the BJP-helmed North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). However, both the UDP and the NPP have approached Mandate 2018 without any pre-poll alliance with the BJP.
Their contention is that they are in NEDA for the sake of the region’s development, and alliance with the BJP is an option if the post-poll situation demands.
How does a majority government look like?
Exit polls have predicted a hung Assembly in Meghalaya. Hung Assemblies are not new to the State. The last time the State gave majority to a party was in 1972. The now-defunct All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference had won 32 seats then, one more than the majority mark.
There are six regional parties in the fray. The BJP is banking on two of them, NPP and United Democratic Party (UDP), which are members of its North East Development Alliance.
The NPP and UDP, though, did not have a pre-poll agreement with BJP, as has usually been the case in Meghalaya.
Though a 60-member Assembly, polls were held only in 59 constituencies of Meghalaya. Polling was countermanded in Williamnagar after suspected extremists had gunned down Jonathone N Sangma, the Nationalist Congress Party’s candidate for the seat.
Counting begins. Postal ballot will be counted first.
All set: A three-tier security arrangement has been made at all 13 counting centres in Meghalaya.
Compared to its other northeastern peers, Congress in Meghalaya is better placed. It is the party in power in the State and hopes for a second term. But the verdict has always been fractured after the 1972 Assembly election.
“The Congress has been the only consistent party in the state,” Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma said on Friday, insisting the divisive politics of the BJP will be a gain for his party.
(With inputs from Shiv Sahay Singh and Rahul Karmakar)
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