Shillong, Mar 13: The election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Meghalaya will be fair fight between the ruling MDA and the opposition Congress and both the candidates have filed their nominations.

Congress candidate, Kennedy Cornelius Khyriem submitted his papers on Friday, which was the last date for filing of nominations and the MDA candidate, who stands on the symbol of the National People’s Party (NPP), Prof Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi submitted his nominations on Thursday.

The voting will be held on March 26, and counting of votes will take place on the same day at 5 pm.

Though the number game suggested that the MDA candidate would not lose the election, Khyriem however said, his conscience says that he stands to have a chance.

“When there is a fight, we have to fight and my conscience says, I stand to have a chance, due to various reasons,” Khyriem, the former Congress legislator from Mawphlang constituency said after filing his nominations.

Khyriem filed his nomination papers before Returning Officer and Joint Secretary of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, F.G. Momin and a host of Congress MLAs, led by the Leader of Opposition, Mukul Sangma accompanied him.

Kharlukhi is the consensus candidate of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) coalition government which comprised of NPP (21), United Democratic Party (7), People’s Democratic Front (4) BJP (2), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (2), NCP (1) and three Independents.

The Congress has 19 MLAs in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.

The biennial election to the Upper House from the state is necessitated as the term of the current Rajya Sabha MP, Wansuk Syiem will expire on April 12.

Syiem was elected twice to the Rajya Sabha as candidate of the Congress.