Congress emerges the single largest party in Meghalaya
53 AMPATI FELL VACANT AFTER SHIRA’S FATHER AND CONGRESS LEADER MUKUL SANGMA WON TWO SEATS IN THE FEB ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS, AND VACATED THE SEAT
Congress candidate Miani D Shira kept her family flag flying as she won the 53 Ampati assembly seat in Meghalaya on Thursday, defeating the National People’s Party (NPP) candidate Clement G Momin by a comfortable margin of 3,191 votes.
The other candidate, independent Subhankar Koch, could manage to win just 360 votes. NOTA (None Of The Above) received 208 votes.
Miani’s victory means that the Congress is the single largest party in the assembly with 21 seats in the 60-member House.
The NPP, a close second with 20 members, managed to form the government in the state in March after the BJP, with just two seats, outmanoeuvred Congress and managed to stich up a coalition government comprising smaller regional parties.
53 Ampati fell vacant after Shira’s father and Congress leader Mukul Sangma won two seats in the February 27 assembly elections, and vacated the seat. Shira led from the first round of counting and though the margin was slender at first, triggering some anxiety among her followers, it gradually widened with each round and finally, of the total 25,687 valid votes, she polled 14,259 votes. NPP’S Momin managed 11,068 votes.
Sangma had defeated BJP candidate Bakul Ch Hajong in the February election by a margin of 8,014 votes. Though the victory margin is smaller this time, observers said it is sizeable, given that it is the first foray into active politics by the 27-year-old daughter of the former chief minister.
With her win, Shira will now joins her father, mother Dikanchi D Shira, and paternal uncle Zenith M Sangma in the ninth Meghalaya legislative assembly. She will also be the fourth woman legislator in the House besides her mother, Congress’s Ampareen Lyngdoh and NPP’S Agatha Sangma.
“I am out of words really. I was positive from the beginning but right now I’m too overwhelmed,” Shira said over phone from Ampati amid jubilation among party supporters.
“This is a victory of the people of Ampati who once again reposed their faith in the Congress party and my father Dr Mukul Sangma, who faithfully served them for 25 years. I dedicate this win to them and thank each and every one for their unstinting support throughout and I want that all of us together to continue to work and ensure that Ampati shines even brighter,” Shira added.
Her elated father also dedicated the victory to the people of Ampati. Admitting that the fight wasn’t easy, given that NPP had put in all its resources to wrest the seat, Sangma expressed pride. “She fought a good fight and ran a good race and so the crown is hers. We are all very proud of her,” he said.