Shillong May 23: The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) on Thursday defeated the opposition Congress in both the elections to Tura Lok Sabha constituency and bye election to Selsella Assembly constituency.
The polls to both the seats were held on April 11, the results of which were declared on Thursday.
Former Union Minister, and NPP candidate, Agatha K Sangma won from Tura Parliamentary constituency with a margin of 63,775 votes as she polled 3,03,848 votes, while Congress candidate and former Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma polled 2,40,073 votes.
BJP candidate, Rikman Garrey Momin got 31,379 votes.
The NPP’s victory on Thursday from Tura Lok Sabha constituency has ensured that the Congress has no chance of winning from the constituency except when former Lok Sabha Speaker, late Purno Agitok Sangma was the Congress leader.
Late Purno won from Tura Lok Sabha for the first time in 1977 as candidate of the Congress, and he continued winning as Congress candidate till 1998. However in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Purno left the Congress and successfully contested on NCP ticket.
Since then, the Congress could not come back from Tura till date.
Meanwhile the NPP wrested the Selsella Assembly seat from the Congress to emerge as the single largest party in the 60-member Assembly.
The NPP won the bye election to Selsella Assembly Constituency through its candidate, Ferlin CA Sangma.
Ferlin defeated Congress candidate, June Eliana R. Marak by a margin of 4,369 votes.
The bye-election to Selsella Assembly constituency was necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLA and former minister, Clement R Marak, the husband of June Eliana R. Marak.
Ferlin got 15,781 votes and June got 11,412 votes.
Adorsho Sangma of the BJP got 1,018 votes, and Sayeedullah Nongrum of the United Democratic Party (UDP) came last with 543 votes and 123 voters pressed the ‘None of the Above (NOTA)’ button in the EVMs.
The NPP now has 21 MLAs in the Assembly and is leading the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.
The NPP-led MDA government is supported by the UDP – 7, People’s Democratic Front (PDF) – 4, Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) – 2, BJP – 2, NCP – 1, and three Independents.