Shillong Oct 31 PTI Meghalaya Chief Electoral officer F R Kharkongor Sunday said over 85000 voters exercised their adult suffrage in by-elections to three Legislative Assembly Constituencies in MeghalayaOut of a total 102 lakh eligible voters Rajabala recorded the highest voter turnout at 9063 percent followed by Mawphlang LAC with 7690 percent turnout and Mawryngkneng LAC with 7506 percent he saidAlthough there was pre-poll violence in the run up to the by-election for the Rajabala constituency seat in Meghalayas West Garo Hills district the conduct of the poll yesterday was by and large peaceful without any untoward incident the CEO saidSection 144 CrPC was imposed to avoid untoward incidents in Rajabala and strict COVID-19 protocols were strictly adhered to avoid spread of the Coronavirus he saidThe byeelections were necessitated by the deaths of two Congress legislators David A Nongrum from Mawryngkneng and Dr Azad Zaman from Rajabala - and of Independent MLA of Mawphlang SK SunnIn 2018 the polling percentage in Mawryngkneng was 8550 percent while it was 8868 percent in Mawphlang and 9339 percent in RajabalaMawryngkneng has 60 polling stations and a total of 36751 eligible voters while Mawphlang with 50 polling stations has 33194 voters Rajabala with 58 polling stations has 32750 votersA total of 13 candidates are in the fray for the by-polls to the three seats and five candidates each are contesting from Mawryngkneng and Rajabala LACs while 3 are in fray in Mawphlang LACIn Mawryngkneng KHADC chairman and Sohryngkham MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem from the ruling National Peoples Party NPP is contesting against the opposition Congress nominee Highlander Kharmalki and three Independent candidates - Esron Marwein Arbiangkam Kharsohmat and Norbert MarbohSK Sunns son Eugeneson Lyngdoh a former national footballer is contesting on the United Democratic Party UDP ticket He is pitched against two seasoned politicians former MLA Kennedy C Khyriem of the Congress and four-time MDC Lamphrang Blah of the NPP from the Mawphlang constituencyAs far as Rajabala constituency is concerned Dr Zamans wife Hashina Yasmin Mondal is contesting to retain the Congress seat against former legislator and current sitting MDC of Batabari Ashahel D Shira from UDP and three others MD Abdus Saleh from NPP Kingston B Marak BJP and Carla R Sangma Independent PTI JOP JRC JRC

Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], October 31 (ANI): Mawryngkneng, Mawphlang and Rajabala assembly constituencies of Meghalaya reported more than 75 per cent voter turnout in the byelections held on Saturday.

Shillong Oct 30 PTI Over 80 per cent of the one lakh plus voters exercised their franchise in the bye-elections to three assembly constituencies in Meghalaya on Saturday Chief Electoral Officer FR Kharkongor saidThere was no report of any untoward incident during the polling in Mawryngkneng Mawphlang and Rajabala he saidThe voter turnout is 8086 per cent till 7 pm Reports are awaited from some of the remote polling stations Kharkongor saidThe highest voter turnout at 9063 per cent was recorded in Rajabala while Mawphlang and Mawryngkneng registered 769 per cent and 7506 per cent polling respectivelyThirteen candidates are in the fray for the by-polls to the three seatsIn Mawryngkneng ruling National Peoples Party candidate Pyniaid Sing Syiem is locking horns with Congress nominee Highlander Kharmalki There are three Independent candidates as wellFormer national footballer Eugeneson Lyngdoh is contesting the election from Mawphlang on a United Democratic Party ticket He is up against Kennedy C Khyriem of the Congress and NPP nominee Lamphrang BlahIn the Rajabala constituency the contestants are Hashina Yasmin Mondal of the Congress D Shira UDP Md Abdus Saleh NPP Kingston B Marak BJP and an Independent candidateBypolls were necessitated in the three seats following the death of sitting MLAs PTI JOP RMS BDC NN NN

Shillong Oct 30 PTI Voting was underway for the by-elections in three assembly constituencies in Meghalaya amid tight securityChief Election Officer FR Kharkongor said polling began at 7 am in all the polling stations in Mawryngkneng Mawphlang and Rajabala assembly constituenciesThe initial hour saw brisk polling he addedThe by-elections were necessitated following the demise of the sitting MLAs of the three seatsA total of 13 candidates are in the fray for the bypolls to the three seats Five candidates each are contesting from Mawryngkneng and Rajabala constituencies while three are in the fray in Mawphlang constituencyOver 1 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the bypollsMawryngkneng with 60 polling stations has 36751 voters while Mawphlang with 50 polling stations has 33194 voters and Rajabala with 58 polling stations has 32750 votersThe votes will be counted on November 2 PTI JOP SOM SOM

Shillong Oct 23 PTI Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday claimed that his government has spent Rs 50000 crore on the states development in the last three-and-a-half years Sangma along with his cabinet colleague Sniawbhalang Dhar was campaigning in Umpling area of Shillong for his National Peoples Party candidate Pyniaid Sing Syiem for the by-election to Mawryngkneng assembly seat scheduled on October 30 We have spent over Rs 50000 crore on the development of Meghalaya in the last three-and-a-half years This is more than what any past government in our state had done the chief minister said while addressing a rally here The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government has also constructed 1800 km of roads in the last three-and-a-half years while past governments had built a maximum of 700 km of roads during their tenure We have been able to reduce malnutrition by 90 per cent since 2018 The state administration now spends Rs 1500 crore on MGNREGA every year while previous governments spent a maximum of Rs 600 crore in the past he said Sangma said the candidature of Syiem who is the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council chairman is backed by the ruling alliance comprising the United Democratic Party Peoples Democratic Front Hill State Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP He claimed that previous Meghalaya governments had failed to resolve the boundary issue with Assam due to political insensitivity Our government has dared to take up the boundary issue as we realised that people have given us the verdict to find a solution to it We have moved forward and there is light at the end of the tunnel We will find some level of resolution Sangma said The chief minister said that his government has constituted a committee to look into the Punjabi Lane issue There are complicated issues but we will resolve them he said Sangma said that his government has moved a resolution to demand for inclusion of Garo and Khasi languages in the eighth schedule By-election to Mawryngkneng Mawphlang and Rajabala assembly seats will be held on October 30 It was necessitated by the demise of sitting MLAs PTI JOP ACD ACD