Conrad Sangma, the CM of Meghalaya and the leader of the National People's Party (NPP), has conveyed his belief in winning the upcoming by-election in the Sohiong constituency of Meghalaya, which are going to take place on, today May 10. The vote count will be conducted on May 13.
He has been campaigning extensively in the area and believes that the NPP's success in the state government will help them gain support from voters. Sohiong is one of the 55 seats in the Meghalaya legislative assembly that is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe. The by-election was originally scheduled to take place before the assembly polls on February 27, but it was postponed following the death of HDR Lyngdoh, a former home minister and United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate.
At present, Samlin Malngiang from NPP is the representative of Sohiong constituency who won the 2018 election with a margin of more than 600 votes. Sangma has been campaigning intensively in the Sohiong area and believes that the merger has provided a much-needed boost to the party's chances. One of the seats in the Meghalaya legislative assembly, Sohiong constituency, is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe out of the total 55 such seats.
On Monday, the Meghalaya Speaker Thomas A Sangma carefully scrutinized the documents and relevant provisions of the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and gave the green signal to the PDF-NPP merger. As a result of the merger, the NPP's strength in the 60-member House has increased to 28.
It is uncertain whether Sangma's optimistic outlook on winning the by-poll will materialize, as the NPP's growing influence in Meghalaya's political arena may impact the election's outcome. However, regardless of the results, the by-poll will be a critical indicator of the ruling party's popularity in the state.