LS polls: Agatha is Meghalaya ruling alliance’s choice for Tura

Shillong: Former Union minister and MP Agatha K Sangma is likely to contest from the Tura Lok Sabha seat on an National People’s Party (NPP)-led, six-party Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) ticket. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is also part of the MDA, has decided to field its own candidates from the state’s two Parliamentary constituencies.

Jemino Mawthoh from the United Democratic Party is also likely to contest from the Shillong constituency. Talking to media persons, NPP chief and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma said, “The MDA has unanimously taken a decision on fielding a common candidate from both Shillong and Tura seats.”

Both Mawthoh and Agatha, who is the CM’s sister and the youngest daughter of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma, will contest on symbols of their own parties — UDP and NPP, respectively.

Agatha, who won from Tura Parliamentary constituency in the 2009 elections and served as a minister in the UPA-II government, had won the Assembly elections from South Tura last year. She, however, resigned from the seat to pave the way for Conrad K Sangma to enter the assembly.

Tura has been without an MP since last year as Conrad K Sangma was the sitting member and had resigned after taking over in the state.

Mawthoh, who was a UDP legislator from Nongthymmai Assembly constituency till he lost the 2018 Assembly elections, is likely to face sitting Congress MP Vincent H Pala in Shillong.