Meghalaya CM to contest from 2 seats

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is keen to contest from two constituencies in the Garo Hills region in the February 27 assembly election, state Congress election committee chief Celestine Lyngdoh said today.
The committee met at the residence of the chief minister during the day to discuss the names of candidates for the ensuing assembly poll.
Lyngdoh said that Sangma wanted to contest from his home constituency Ampati in South West Garo Hills district, besides Songsak in the Garo Hills.
Congress sources said that the party was finding it difficult to get candidates in certain constituencies, especially those where the Congress MLAs had quit and joined the National People's Party (NPP) or the BJP.

The Congress suffered a blow today as 42 party leaders in Resubelpara constituency in North Garo Hills district resigned and are likely to support an Independent candidate.
Among those who resigned included presidents, secretaries and other leaders of the district, block and primary committees in the constituency, which is currently represented by former chief minister S C Marak.

The entire district Congress committee has collapsed after the leaders quit, its president Chisal R Sangma said.
Asked for the reasons for their resignation, he said that the sitting MLA has "neglected the the people".
The Congress, which is fighting incumbency after being in power for almost 15 years, also witnessed desertions of key party members and workers in both the Khasi Hills and Garo Hills region.

Earlier this month, five sitting legislators, including veteran Congress leader and former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh, joined the NPP.
A former Congress minister, A L Hek, joined the BJP, while another Congress MLA had joined to the PDF.
Meanwhile, the NPP has said that it would not put up any candidate in Ampati and would support the BJP candidate.
"We are not putting up candidates in some seats and that includes Ampati," NPP state president W R Kharlukhi told PTI.