Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) national supremo, Conrad Sangma has retained the South Tura assembly defeating his nearest rival BJP’s candidate Bernard Marak.
However, the Returning Officer of South Tura assembly seat is yet to declare the results, but Conrad is leading by a margin of 2,830 votes.
Conrad secured 10,090 votes, while Bernard managed to polled only 7,260 in a five cornered contest.
The ruling NPP has so far won in seven seats with Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong Tourism minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, former Power Minister Comingone Ymbon, former Urban Affairs minister Dr. Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh retaining their assembly seats
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday thanked the people of the state for voting for the NPP.
“I thank the people of the state for voting our party. We are very thankful to them. We are short by few numbers of course and we will wait for the final result to come out and then we will decide how to go,” he reporters at Tura in West Garo Hills district.
With the NPP emerging as the single largest party in the state, its top leaders have started to hold discussion on the formation of the new coalition government.
When asked about forging an alliance with partners in the outgoing Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government — the BJP, United Democratic Party, the People’s Democratic Front, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party — Sangma said, “I could not even meet my people. Let me meet them and then we will decide. Let us see.”
