Shillong: Voters showed up in large numbers on Wednesday morning for the by-election in Meghalaya’s Gambegre assembly constituency, located in West Garo Hills. With polling beginning at 7 a.m., Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari reported high voter enthusiasm, with lengthy lines forming at multiple polling stations early in the day.
The election has attracted significant public attention as Mehtab Chandee Sangma, wife of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, competes on behalf of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP). She is up against five contenders: Congress candidate Jingjang M Marak, Trinamool Congress’s Sadhiarani M Sangma, BJP’s Bernard N Marak, and independents Sengkrabirth Marak and Jerry A Sangma.
To ensure a peaceful election, security has been intensified across the constituency, particularly at 31 of the 51 polling stations identified as critical. The Gambegre constituency has 32,254 registered voters, of which 15,923 are women.
The by-election was necessitated by former MLA Saleng A Sangma’s decision to vacate the seat after his election to the Lok Sabha. The outcome of this closely-watched by-poll will be pivotal for regional political dynamics in Meghalaya.