Upcoming Assembly Election 2013 In North East, Assembly Speaker’s Son Contest from SBCC: North East

Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope’s son, David H Nongrum, a young entrepreneur is the official nominee of the Mawryngkneng Block Congress Committee (SBCC) to contest the upcoming 2013 Assembly election from the newly-created Mawryngkneng constituency. Nongrum name was finalised following an election convened by the EKHDCC to select the party candidate from Shella whose results were announced on Thursday. Actually, Nongrum convincingly defeated his opponents – AICC member and secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee, Joplin Nongdhar, and Congress MDC from Sohryngkham constituency, Marbok Kharpran.

Nongrum garnered a total of 393 votes out of the total 557 votes, while Kharpran and Nongdhar received 119 and 45 votes respectively. Meanwhile, a major controversy has erupted over the election conducted by the East Khasi Hills District Congress Committee (EKHDCC) to select the candidate who would contest from Nongkrem Constituency in the upcoming 2013 Assembly election. The controversy emerged after seven out of 19 units under the Nongkrem Block Congress Committee (NBCC) raised objection over the manner the election was conducted. The objection was minutes before EKDCC general secretary SG Khongiong was supposed to announce the name of the candidate officially nominated by the NBCC to be the party candidate from Nongkrem Constituency.

The seven units demanded that there should be re-polling since majority of the members from the unit did not get the opportunity to vote in the election. Following the objection the matter was referred to the EKDCC for a final decision. It is learnt that there was alleged manipulation in the election process by certain senior Congress leaders who wanted former MDP leader and former legislator from Nartiang constituency, Draison Kharshiing, to be the official nominee of the NBCC. Besides Kharshiing, Nongkrem Congress MDC Lambor Malngiang, veteran politician SL Marbaniang and Hilarius Pohchen, who had contested the 2008 Assembly election from Nongkrem constituency on an NCP ticket, were the other ticket aspirants. The elections for the nomination of candidates in Mawryngkneng and Nongkrem were necessitated as the Congress has no sitting legislators from these two constituencies.

Source: northtoday.in