While a lot of attention was on the Karnataka polls, we people did have a tiny by-election in Meghalaya.

What’s really interesting is that while 272 votes were polled in the NOTA category (None of the Above), the BJP candidate ended up with just 40 votes.

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 NOTA (None Of The Above) category.

The election for the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly were 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 held in 59 seats) and after the announcement of the result, the tribal based party became an ally of NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.

So, basically no great shakes!

SENT BY SIMON MARBANIANG IN SHILLONG

  citizen journalism, letters, Meghalaya, Northeast, United Democratic Party