Meghalaya elections: NPP ahead in 22 seats, BJP, Congress leading in 6 seats each

According to the latest trend shared by the Election Commission at 11.10 a.m. on Thursday, the ruling National People’s Party was leading in 22 of Meghalaya’s 59 Assembly constituencies, while the BJP and the Congress were leading in 6 seats each.

According to EC data, National People’s Party candidate Dasakhiatbha Lamare of Nongkrem was 629 votes ahead of Congress’ Emlang Laloo. As the counting of votes for the Meghalaya Assembly continued, supporters from all parties gathered at Shillong’s Polo Ground. Meanwhile, NPP supporters gathered outside CM Conrad Sangma’s residence in Tura, anticipating victory.

The ruling party, as per the latest trends, was ahead in 22 of the total 59 Assembly segments. At 10.32 a.m., the EC data showed that the NPP chief was 44 votes ahead of the BJP’s Bernard N Marak in South Tura. In Sutnga Saipung, the NPP’s Santa Mary Shylla was leading Congress’s Vincent.H. Pala by 1257 votes.

Dr. Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, the NPP candidate from East Shillong, was leading Congress candidate Manuel Badwar by 212 votes. Mukul Sangma, the state chief of the Trinamool Congress and a former chief minister, was leading National People’s Party candidate Nihim D Shira by 457 votes in Songsak.

The counting began at 8 a.m. in all 13 centres. For the first 30 minutes, postal ballots were counted, followed by the counting of polled votes in the EVM Control Units. Shillong has the most Counting Halls in the state, with one for each assembly constituency.

The West Garo Hills District Counting Centre serves 11 assembly constituencies and is the state’s second-largest counting centre. The Election Commission has deployed 27 Counting Observers, with over 500 micro observers assisting them at each table.

Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma met Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Tuesday night, ahead of the counting of votes for Meghalaya assembly elections.

Sarma, in particular, is the convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
According to an NPP source, both Chief Ministers attended a crucial meeting in a hotel in Guwahati that lasted half an hour.

Following the meeting, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya returned to Tura in the West Garo Hills. Earlier on Tuesday, Meghalaya CM hinted at forming a post-poll alliance to form the government.

A counting Observer assists four counting assistants at each table. On Monday, Meghalaya had a voting percentage of more than 76%. 3,419 polling stations represented the state’s 59 Assembly constituencies.

Meghalaya has 60 Assembly constituencies, 36 of which are in the Khasi, Jaintia Hills region, and 24 in the Garo Hills region. However, polling for the Sohiong Assembly constituency was postponed following the demise of the state’s former Home Minister and United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate from the seat HDR Lyngdoh.