Shillong: The Congress on Saturday declared its final list of five candidates for the Meghalaya Assembly elections, fielding Chireng Peter R Marak, the brother-in-law of lone National People’s Party (NPP) Lok Sabha member Agatha Sangma from Kharkutta assembly constituency.
The party, however, denied ticket to former Chief Minister Salseng C. Marak’s son, Silman Sangma, in favour of a former Nationalist Congress Party leader Dr. Tweel K. Marak from the Resubelpara assembly seat.
Sources said that the former Chief Minister is unhappy with the Congress leadership denying a party ticket to his son Silman, who has been associated with the Congress for many years now.
“We will be meeting in a couple of days to discuss this development and we will take a stand accordingly,” sources close to the former Chief Minster’s family said.
Among the candidates named in the second list are Carla R. Sangma from Rajabala assembly constituency in West Garo Hills district, Arbiangkam Khar Sohmat from Amlarem assembly seat in West Jaintia Hills district and Jhanika Siangshai from Khliehriat assembly seat in East Jaiñtia Hills district.
With the declaration of the second list, Congress has fielded candidates in the state’s all 60 assembly constituencies.
The Congress, which was the single-largest party with 21 seats in the 2018 Meghalaya Assembly elections, was reduced to 17 in the State Assembly following the demise of three Congress MLAs and the resignation of one legislator
The major blow for the grand-old party in Meghalaya came in November 2021 when 12 party MLAs joined the Trinamool Congress.
The remaining five Congress MLAs also rebelled against the party by supporting the BJP-backed Conrad Sangma government thus leaving the Congress party with no MLA in 2022.
