Tura, Nov 11: Rallying their supporters and reaching out to the fence straddlers, candidates are making a final push for votes as campaigning nears closure at 4 PM on Monday in what can be termed a prestigious battle between three of the biggest political parties in the state- Conrad K Sangma and the NPP, Saleng A Sangma and the Congress, Mukul M Sangma and the All India Trinamool Congress.
In a tight contest that also has two Independents and the BJP, all eyes are on the three major parties- NPP, INC and AITC, and it can swing either way given the vigorous campaigning that has taken place in the last three weeks.
There are 31,439 voters in Gambegre constituency strewn across 51 polling stations.
Gambegre was erstwhile known as Dalamgre. It was renamed in 2013 after carving out Kherapara and Dalamgre as part of the delimitation exercise.
NPP dangles “development” assurance for votes
Gambegre has turned out to be the most campaigned constituency for Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. No other assembly segment has been toured so extensively by a chief minister and this is because his wife Mehtab Chandee A Sangma is the NPP candidate and one of the frontrunners in this electoral battle.
“We have proven our ability to bring development across Garo Hills and the state since we came to power. Gambegre desperately needs development of roads, education and health infrastructure and only the NPP and our government can deliver on the promise,” says the chief minister as he woos voters on the last leg of campaigning.
NPP candidate Mehtab Chandee A Sangma echoes her husband’s words, “I have been touring Gambegre and witnessed the urgent need for its development. Being a mother and a doctor I know the suffering the people are enduring due to poor health and education facilities.” Her entry into the fray has made this once nondescript constituency into the political limelight of the state.
Trinamool banks on “time-tested” Mukul legacy
Former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has been the face of the All India Trinamool Congress in its battle to wrest Gambegre from the Congress. It is a prestigious battle for Mukul Sangma given that his sister-in-law Sadhiarani M Sangma is one of the main contenders.
Sadhiarani is the wife of Zenith M Sangma, former minister and younger brother of Mukul Sangma.
“People across Meghalaya and Garo Hills have seen the kind of development brought in during my tenure as chief minister. No other state in the north east could mobilize funds and create jobs and infrastructure like I did when I was chief minister,” gloats Mukul Sangma as he reminisces on his past glory. He points to the establishment of medical and engineering colleges, among others.
The Trinamool candidate Sadhiarani is the sitting MDC from Dengnakpara in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council. She has contested the Gambegre legislative seat for two consecutive terms, coming a close second to then MLA Saleng A Sangma, who is now the new Tura MP in the Lok Sabha.
Congress hopes to keep winning momentum alive
The Congress first won the Gambegre assembly seat (then called Dalamgre) in 2008 with Saleng A Sangma who gave a shock defeat to P A Sangma’s then NCP party. A first timer, Saleng defeated heavyweight and minister Admiral K Sangma in that election. He held on to the seat for 16 years ( 3 terms), even as an Independent when Mukul Sangma found him a threat and denied him a Congress ticket in 2013.
His decision to contest this year’s parliamentary elections surprised his supporters and well-wishers many of whom termed it to be political suicide, but he proved them wrong by emerging victorious against Agatha K Sangma of the NPP. The congress is hoping that the momentum remains.
“Despite Gambegre being neglected by successive governments we have persevered and with our MLA schemes slowly made progress. Today almost all wooden bridges have been replaced with concrete structure and work is progressing for better roads and other infrastructure,” says MP Saleng Sangma as he assures concerned voters that more development will flow in, now that he is the MP of Garo Hills.
How deep the words and stories of the candidates and their parties sink in is anyones’ guess. But a decision will be made on November 13th when they push the button on the EVM in their respective polling stations.
