Manipur ministers campaign for Conrad Sangma in Meghalaya

Manipur ministers are campaigning in Meghalaya to drum up support for NPP candidate and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma for the upcoming August 23 Assembly bye-election.

Besides South Tura seat, senior BJP leaders of Manipur are also camping in areas under Ranikor constituency, which will also witness a bypoll on August 23.

Speaking at an election meeting in Tura yesterday, Manipur Health minister Jayantakumar Singh said, Conrad Sangma has followers across Northeast region as he is interested in voicing the concern of the people and he is also the voice of the people of the region at the Centre.

Seeking mandate of the people, Singh urged the voters of South Tura not to get carried away by any false propaganda of the opposition parties or get lured by their promises.

"We look up to the people of Tura to come and vote in favour of Conrad. North East and India is keeping a watch on the prestigious constituency. We are sure that people will come out and repose their faith in Conrad Sangmaji," Manipur Sports Minister Letpao Haokip told PTI.

Both the Manipur ministers will be in South Tura till tomorrow.

National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad K Sangma is pitted against Independent candidate and former South Tura MLA John Leslee Sangma in South Tura constituency.

The bypoll has been declared to fill up a vacancy caused by the resignation of former Union minister Agatha K. Sangma.

Agatha Sangma, who is also Conrad Sangma's sister, had resigned from the seat on July 2. Conrad Sangma was sworn in as chief minister on March 6.

According to rules, Conrad Sangma has to become a member of the state Assembly within six months from the date of taking over as chief minister.

Conrad Sangma is heading the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, which is a coalition consisting of the NPP, UDP, PDF, HSPDP, BJP, NCP and Independents.

Manipur Deputy Chief Minister and another cabinet minister will also be camping at South Tura till Tuesday along with several ministers of the BJP-backed Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.

At Ranikor, NPP leader and Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong is leading the campaign for party candidate Martin M Danggo.

Danggo, a former Assembly speaker and five times Congress MLA resigned from the Assembly in June and has joined the ruling NPP following which the bypoll became necessary.

Campaigning at various villages in the constituency, Tyngsong and party workers urged the people to vote for Danggo who recently joined the NPP with the hope that a new era of development will take place in the constituency.

The NPP Leader also assured the people that tourism will be used as a vehicle to generate employment in the region.

While the BJP and the other partners in the MDA government are supporting Conrad Sangma as the common candidate for South Tura constituency, Danggo on the other hand faces opposition from a candidate of the United Democratic Party and the Peoples Democratic Front, both of which are partners of the ruling MDA.