United Democratic Party candidate wins Meghalaya Assembly bye-poll

SHILLONG: United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah on Saturday won the Sohiong Assembly constituency in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district by defeating his nearest opponent Samlin Malngiang of the National People's Party (NPP) by a margin of 3,422 votes.

In the six-corner contest, Thabah secured 16,679 votes, while Malngiang bagged 13,257. Congress candidate S. Osborne Kharjana and the BJP's Seraph Eric Kharbuki got 1,762 and 40 votes, respectively, while 272 votes were polled against the NOTA (None Of The Above) category.

The election for the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly was held on February 27, but polling in Sohiong did not take place following the death of UDP candidate H. Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh, who passed away on February 20 due to illness. Around 92 per cent of the 34,783 voters cast their votes in the May 10 by-election.

In the February 27 polls, the UDP got 11 seats in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly (elections were held in 59 seats), and after the announcement of the result, the tribal-based party became an ally of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government. The UDP, NPP, and BJP, which fought the February elections against each other, are now partners of the MDA government, headed by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who is also the national president of the NPP. (IANS)

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