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75 per cent turnout in Meghalaya

— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

VOTING PASSPORT: Khasi women show their voters’ identity cards while awaiting their turn to vote in the Umroi constituency for the eighth Meghalaya Assembly elections on Monday. The fate of 331 candidates contesting in over 59 constituencies was sealed. A total of 12,32,907 people were eligible to vote.

Guwahati: Over 75 per cent votes were cast for 59 constituencies (of the total 60) in the Meghalaya Assembly elections on Monday.

The polling passed off peacefully. Polling in Baghmara constituency has been re-scheduled on March 22 owing to the death of Congress candidate.

In the capital city Shillong and in some constituencies, the polling was affected briefly due to rain but voters came out in large numbers when the rain stopped. Counting of votes will be taken up on March 7. Khasi, Garo and Jaintia voters in their traditional dresses waited in long queues much before the polling began at 7 a.m. In some polling booths, voters could be seen waiting for their turn even after the polling hours were over at 4 p.m.

Monday’s polling sealed the fate of altogether 331 candidates, including 19 women candidates in electronic voting machines. Chief Minister D.D. Lapang cast his vote at a primary school at Nongpoh, about 40 km from here from where he is seeking re-election.

When contacted over phone, Chief Minister D.D. Lapang expressed confidence that the Congress would get majority. Asked if his party was ready for a tie-up with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Chief Minister said that NCP was partner in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and if any decision on sharing of power was required to be taken, it would be taken in consultation with the party high command. Dr. Lapang, however, reiterated his confidence that such a need would not arise and that his party would secure the magic number.

However, the former Lok Sabha speaker and NCP general secretary Purno Agitok Sangma, told The Hindu, that he had not applied his mind to the idea of sharing power with the Congress as he was quite confident of the NCP getting absolute majority. “In the event of a fractured mandate, we will take the decision accordingly,” he said. Mr. Sangma, who had projected himself as chief ministerial candidate during electioneering, cast his vote at Tura.

Apart from Dr. Lapang and Mr. Sangma, Monday’s poll will also decide the fate four former Chief Ministers among others in the fray. They are Salseng C. Marack, J.D. Rymbai, E.K. Mawlong and F.A. Khonglam.

The Congress had made stability the major poll plank and had urged voters to give their mandate for single-party rule to end political instability in Meghalaya. The NCP had urged the electors to “vote for change to end the Congress misrule.”

The regional parties — United Democratic Party, Meghalaya Democratic Party, Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement , Hill State People’s Democratic Party which were partners in the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government led by Dr. Lapang, had made corruption during the Congress-led governance a major poll plank.

No major violence was reported on Monday. However, one person died when workers of the Congress and the NCP clashed at Selsella in Garo Hills on Sunday. There were also reports of clashes between supporters of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Congress in Ri-Bhoi district on Sunday.

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