Shillong, Aug 23: The fate of eight candidates including chief minister, Conrad Kongkal Sangma has been sealed in voting machines as 88.9 per cent voters of Ranikor constituency and 72.89 per cent voters of South Tura constituency cast their votes in the bye elections held to both the constituencies on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters here, Chief Electoral Officer, Fredrick Roy Kharkongor the voting percentage might increase in Ranikor as reports have not come from all polling booths especially from few remote and non-motorable polling stations

In South Tura also, the figure may go up after postal ballots are calculated.

“The conduct of bypolls was by and large smooth in both Ranikor and South Tura except few glitches due to malfunctioning of few voting machines in the first hour of voting. The voting continued smoothly after the problems were fixed promptly,” Kharkongor said.

He said that unlike in the Assembly elections on February 27, where problems occurred after mock polls were conducted, this time, all the data recorded in the voting machines during the mock poll in various polling stations of both the constituencies were cleared without any problem.

Ranikor and South Tura has 65 and 36 polling booths respectively.

Kharkongor said that the 10 runners were engaged for transmitting information where they run from the polling stations and shared timely updates with sector officers who stationed at the nearest motorable points.

The voters of South Tura will decide the fate of NPP candidate and chief minister, Conrad K. Sangma, who fight with three other opponents, Charlotte W. Momin of the Congress, and two Independents – former MLA, John Leslee K. Sangma and Chris Kabul Sangma.

Conrad, who is still the Lok Sabha MP from Tura, should get elected as MLA of South Tura to continue as chief minister.

Ranikor also has four contestants where former Assembly Speaker and five-time MLA, Martin M. Danggo of the ruling National People’s Party is fighting with three other opponents.

Danggo quit as Congress MLA and joined the NPP. Pius Marweiñ of the United Democratic Party, former Mawsynram MLA, P.N. Syiem of the People’s Democratic Front and Jackuis Sangma of the opposition Congress fight against Danggo.

Counting of votes for both the seats will be held on August 27. For Ranikor, votes will be counted at Mawkyrwat, and for South Tura constituency, votes will be counted at Social Mobilization Experimentation and Learning Centre at Dakopgre, Tura.

Kharkongor said that security has been deployed to guard the counting centres and on the counting day, each counting centre will be deployed one company of Central Armed Police Force.