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| Dikkanchi D. Shira and Mukul Sangma: Couple of winners |
Shillong, Feb. 28: One of the most striking features of the 2013 Meghalaya Assembly polls was the domination of families in the electoral ring.
Husbands and wives, father and daughter, father and son, father-in-law and son-in-law and brothers were all contesting in this election. But in politics, you win some, you lose some.
Meghalaya chief minister Mukul M. Sangma will enter the ninth Assembly along with his wife Dikkanchi D. Shira and his brother Zenith M. Sangma.
While Mukul was re-elected for the fifth straight time from Ampati with a winning margin of 9,096 votes, his wife won her first election from Mahendraganj with a winning margin of 6,859 votes. Both the constituencies are in Southwest Garo Hills.
Zenith, on the other hand, made a comeback, after having lost the 2008 polls, from Rangsakona in West Garo Hills with a victory margin of 6,070 votes.
The husband-wife duo of Donkupar Massar and Grace Mary Kharpuri, however, lost in the poll.
While Massar lost from Pynursla to Congress nominee Prestone Tynsong, Kharpuri was defeated by UDP president Donkupar Roy from Shella constituency.
In a major upset, National People’s Party (NPP) leader Conrad K. Sangma lost by a margin of over 2,000 votes to Clement Marak of the Congress from Selsella.
However, Conrad’s elder brother James was re-elected from the newly delimited Dadenggre constituency in West Garo Hills.
Limison D. Sangma of the Congress won from Raksamgre constituency in West Garo Hills while his brother Jimmy lost from Tikrikilla constituency.
Moreover, the brothers — Founder and Sounder Strong Cajee, Edmund and Purno K. Sangma — were defeated while Ngaitlang Dhar and his younger brother Sniawbhalang won from Umroi and Nartiang respectively.
The father-daughter duo of Pynshai Manik Syiem and Teilinia Thangkhiew lost to their rivals.
However, while Assembly Speaker Charles D. Pyngrope lost from Nongthymmai, his son David A. Nongrum won from Mawryngkneng constituency.
The uncle-niece duo of former chief minister Salseng C. Marak and former deputy chief minister Deborah C. Marak were also elected on Congress tickets to the ninth Assembly.
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