Shillong, May 13: The counting of votes for the by-election in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills’ Sohiong constituency is currently underway, according to a senior official on Saturday. Tight security has been arranged around the counting venue, which started at 8 am.
The by-election was conducted after the demise of the United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate HDR Lyngdoh before the assembly elections held across the state on February 27.
The National People’s Party (NPP) is looking forward to expanding its seat share in the 60-member assembly to 29 with a victory in this by-election. Six candidates were in the race for the seat, namely Synshar Lyngdoh Thabah of UDP, Samlin Malngiang of NPP, S Osborne Kharjana of Congress, Sandondor Ryntathiang of HSPDP, Sereph E Kharbuki of BJP, and Stodingstar Thabah of TMC.
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The polling for the Sohiong constituency was conducted on May 10, and over 91.8% of the 34,000 registered voters cast their ballots. The election was held under tight security measures, and no major incidents were reported from the polling booths.
The ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) is keeping a close watch on the results of the by-elections. The NPP is the lead party of the MDA government, which has a total of 41 seats in the state assembly. The Congress, which is the primary opposition party in Meghalaya, has been looking to expand its influence in the state by winning this by-election.
The outcome of this election is crucial for all parties, especially for the NPP, which has been aiming to increase its numbers in the assembly. The final results will be announced soon, and it remains to be seen which party will come out on top in this closely contested by-election.
