TURA,APR 29: The Congress and NPP are slugging it out to clinch the Tura Lok Sabha seat after its sitting NPP MP and former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Agitok Sangma expire recently.
Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma wife and Congress candidate Dikkanchi D. Shira’s and late Sangma youngest son and NPP supremo are locked in straight fight for the May 16 Tura LS bye-polls .
The Congress high command has directed all its MLAs and member of district council to drum up support for Dikkanchi.
At least three cabinet ministers and several parliamentary secretaries are campaigning in their respective constituencies, meeting people and going door-to-door. Dikkanchi is meeting party workers in different parts of Garo hills to boost the morale of the party workers.
A series of online and offline campaign is all set to be launched by the Congress candidate beginning May 1.
Congress has 16 MLAs in the Meghalaya legislative assembly from Garo hills and six independents, who are supporting the Congress in the ruling government. The party also has seven member of district council.
National People’s Party candidate Conrad Kongkal Sangma on Friday addressed six election rallies in plain belt area of West Garo Hills. He also addressed an election rally at Raksamgre, where Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma had officially kicked off his campaign yesterday.
Apart from Raksamgre, Conrad addressed rallies at Tikrikilla, Nidanpur, Paham Shyamnagar and Rajabala. “I am very positive with the outcome of the rallies in plain belt”, said Conrad.
At Rajabala, Conrad spoke in Hindi and made his effort to connect to the electorates, who are mostly minorities and Bengali speaking Muslims.
The plain belt area is known for Congress and late Purno stronghold. In last Lok Sabha election, both Congress and NPP had got good chunk of votes as electorates came out in large number to cast their franchise.
However, in last year’s council election NPP candidate Esmatur Mominin and Independent candidate Sofior Rahman had won the election from two constituencies of plain belt.
Conrad enjoys the support of former Congress minister – Monirul Islam Sarkar and K C Boro, who have joined the NPP bandwagon and is drumming up campaign to ensure that NPP candidate sails in the election.
Esmatur and Sofior are also rallying behind Conrad.
Rajabala MLA Ashahel D. Shira, who had won the last assembly election as independent candidate is also touring the plain belt area seeking votes for Congress candidate Dikkanchi. Speaking to this correspondent, he said, “I have been touring the region and am confident that majority votes from this area will go in favor of Congress”.
Late Purno used to address rallies in the plain belt area mostly in Bengali.
When contacted Dikkanchi said she is in a meeting and could not give out many details about her campaign.-From Our Correspondent
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