Congress wins Ampati seat in Meghalaya

Guwahati: In what has surcharged the political atmosphere of the frontier state of Meghalaya, the Congress became the single largest party in the state by defending its traditional Ampati assembly seats by a margin of 3191 votes. However, victory of BJP’s ally National Democratic Peoples Party (NDPP) in Nagaland Lok Sabha seat has come as face-saver for North East Democratic Alliance which  recently affirmed their commitment for a Congress-Mukt Northeast.

The BJP-backed front NDPP’s Tokheho Yepthomi, defeated his opponent C Apok Jamir, a candidate of the Congress-backed Naga People’s Front by margin of 155922 votes. Mr Jamir is a former Rajya Sabha member and son of former Nagaland chief minister SC Jamir.

The by-poll became necessary after Lok Sabha member Neiphiu Rio became Chief Minister of the state with support from the BJP. In 2014, Mr Rio had won the seat by a margin of over 4 lakh votes.  

In Meghalaya bye-elections for Ampati assembly seat had necessitated after former chief minister Mukul M. Sangma gave it up while retaining Songsak, one of the two Assembly constituencies he had won in the February elections.

His 27-old-daughter Miani D. Shira retained the seat for the Congress.