MDA rally to garner support for Mawthoh at Polo Grounds

Shillong: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) on Tuesday held a massive election rally at the Polo Grounds here to drum up support for the common candidate of the ruling conglomeration, Jemino Mawthoh of United Democratic Party (UDP), for the Shillong Lok Sabha seat.
Addressing the gathering, chief minister Conrad K’ongkal Sangma, who is also national president of National People’s Party (NPP) that leads the MDA, listed out several achievements of the state government over the past one year in office and urged the people to elect Mawthoh, who, he said, was a ‘genuine leader.’

Leaders of all constituent parties of the MDA, except BJP, which is contesting the two Lok Sabha seats in the state on its own, addressed the election meeting in support of Mawthoh, who is a former member of the state legislative assembly.

The MDA candidate Jemino Mawthoh appealed to the electorate to vote in his favour, saying that he would give voice to the aspirations of the people of the state in the parliament if elected.

There are six candidates in fray for the Shillong LS seat of which the most prominent include sitting MP Vincent H Pala of Congress, Jemino Mawthoh of UDP and sitting assembly member Sanbor Shullai of BJP. The three other candidates vying for the Shillong seat are all Independents. Both Pala and Shullai have been holding election rallies in various parts of the Shillong Lok Sabha constituency to woo the voters.

While Pala, a two-time MP who is seeking re-election for a third consecutive term, has been listing out his contributions towards the development of the state, Shullai has been maintaining that BJP would bounce back to power in New Delhi and hence it would be fit for the people to vote for him.

On the other hand, Congress candidate for the Tura Lok Sabha seat, Mukul Sangma, has been electioneering throughout the Garo Hills, urging the people to vote his party back to power in order to ‘save democracy’. Agatha Sangma of NPP has been invoking the legacy of her late father Purno Sangma in the course of her addresses at various different election rallies. She has been also highlighting the achievements of the government run by her brother, Conrad, over the past one year.