Meghalaya Chief Minister wins South-Tura Assembly bypoll

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP president Conrad K Sangma today won the South Tura by-election by defeating his nearest Congress rival Charlotte W Momin by over 8,400 votes, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) F R Kharkongor said.nnWith Sangma’s win the National People’s Party has levelled its tally at 20 with the opposition Congress in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.nnThe NPP is heading a six-party Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in the state.nnThe NPP president secured a total of 13,656 votes of the 22,200 plus total votes polled in South Tura. His closest rival of the Congress, Charlotte W Momin, got 8,421 votes, the CEO said.nnBesides the NPP, the MDA also has the support of the BJP (2), NCP (1) along with the regional parties – United Democratic Party (7), the Peoples Democratic Front (4), the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (2) and 2 Independents.nnIn the Ranikor Assembly seat, the United Democratic Party candidate Pious Marwein is leading over NPP candidate Martin M Danggo by over 3,390 votes.nnDanggo, who was elected on a Congress ticket for the fifth time in March, resigned in June this year to join the ruling NPP.nnSource: Press Trust of India