Shillong: Voting is underway for by-election to Gambegre assembly constituency in Meghalaya on Wednesday on a peaceful note, an election officials said.
“Voting began at 7 am in all 51 polling stations across Gambegre assembly constituency and voters’ turnout recorded till 9 am was 27 percent,” Chief Electoral Officer, Dr. B.D.R.Tiwari said.
“Long queues were already being witnessed before voting started at 7 am. Elaborate security has been deployed especially in 31 critical polling stations,” he said.
There are six candidates for the seat with the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) fielding chief minister Conrad Sangma’s wife and practicing physician Dr. Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma who is pitted against Sadhiarani Sangma (Trinamool Congress), Jingjang Marak (Congress), Bernard Marak (BJP) and two Independents, Sengkrabirth Marak and Jerry Sangma.
The by-poll was necessitated following resignation of sitting legislator Saleng Sangma of Congress, who won the Tura Lok Sabha seat earlier this year.
Gambegre assembly has a total of 32,254 voters, including 15,923 female voters, three service voters, 993 young voters, 64 senior citizen voters and 100 voters with physical disabilities.
