Tura, May 19 : National People’s Party (NPP) candidate Conrad K Sangma today won the Tura Lok Sabha by-election with a huge margin of 1.92 lakhs. The battle fought on the legacy of Purno Agitok Sangma by the NPP has yielded result as the electorate in 24 constituencies of Garo hills, which comprise the Tura parliamentary seat, witnessed huge votes for the NPP candidate.
Conrad is the youngest son of late Purno and a former Meghalaya Finance and Power Minister. He was also the opposition leader from 2009-2013. By winning the election, Conrad has become Purno’s successor, a constituency aptly termed as Purno’s citadel. He had won nine consecutive elections and a by-election to the Lok Sabha in 2006.
The victory margin of 1,92,212 votes is an indication that Congress has lost its ground in Garo hills. During the election, the Congress party was upbeat and had claimed that with 22 MLAs in its kitty, out of 24 in Garo hills they were way ahead of NPP, which has two MLAs in the state legislative assembly.
Of the 24 constituencies, NPP won in 23 constituencies including Mahendraganj, represented by Congress candidate Dikkanchi D Shira. Congress managed to win only in Ampati constituency, a bastion of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma with a slender margin of 2432 votes. In Mahendraganj, Conrad secured 12301 votes, while Dikkanchi secured 11201 votes.
Over 8000 people, who chanted slogans – greeted him “Conrad Sangma Zindabad, P A Sangma Zindabad” and gave a traditional kotip (headgear), milam (sword) and sepi (shield). He was seen emotionally charged as he hugged his mother, sister Agatha, a former union minister and wife Mehtab Chandee. His five- year-old daughter, Amara who was waiting at the counting centre, also greeted his father by saying “We won dad”. At 11 a.m., Conrad accompanied by his wife, daughter and mother was in the streets of Tura to thank the voters. Conrad also went to his father’s graveyard and sought his blessing.
He dedicated the victory to his father and thanked the electorates and all likeminded parties including BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting his candidature in the Tura Lok Sabha by-election. He also thanked and congratulated Congress candidate Dikkanchi, who had posed a tough battle for NPP.
On the 2018 state assembly election, he said, “It will be a different ball game altogether but it is an indication that state government has failed in many areas”.