Shillong: Counting of votes for Williamnagar constituency in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills will take place on Tuesday.

East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Ram Kumar on Monday said counting would start at 8am at Williamnagar, the district headquarters.

Regarding one particular electronic voting machine and the voter verifiable paper audit trail, where the votes of the mock poll prior to actual polling were not cleared, Kumar said instructions were given that paper slips have to be counted.

On Friday, 78.82 per cent of 32,345 voters spread across 58 polling booths came out to cast their votes. The turnout was slightly less than in 2013.

As the hour of reckoning draws near, NPP candidate Marcuise N. Marak, who is also a former Williamnagar legislator, expressed optimism that he will make a comeback to the Assembly. "I am with my people from different parts of the constituency and they are saying that we are going to win tomorrow," Marak said. "The Congress government had made many promises but it did not fulfil them," he added. The other candidates were not available for their comments.

The election to Williamnagar constituency, scheduled for February 27 along with the remaining 59 constituencies, had to be countermanded following the killing of Nationalist Congress Party candidate Jonathone N. Sangma.

On February 18, Jonathone was killed in an improvised explosive device blast allegedly triggered by the GNLA near Sawilgre village, about 14km from Samanda block, in the district. Apart from the NPP nominee, there were eight other candidates in the fray, including Congress nominee Deborah C. Marak.

The seat was previously held by Deborah. The NCP had fielded Jonathone's widow Krenilla Marak.

The other candidates are Santosh R. Marak of the BJP, Mahamsingh M. Sangma of the United Democratic Party and four Independents - Sengbath Marak, Lahatson Marak, Siljohn Marak and Jan Arengh.