Miani D Shira, the daughter of former chief minister Mukul Sangma, won the Ampati assembly seat in Meghalaya today – a victory that gave the Congress 21 seats, making it the single largest party in the state.
The seat had fallen vacant 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.
The victory is expected to have a bearing on the Congress’ claim to form the government, made after the recent assembly election in Karnataka, where the BJP was invited to form the government as the single largest party.
Ms Shira received 14,259 votes while her nearest rival Clement G. Momin of National People’s Party (NPP) bagged 11,068. Independent candidate Subhankar Koch mustered 360 votes, 152 more than NOTA or none of the above.
The Congress won 21 of the state’s 60 seats in the assembly polls held in February, but its number came down to 20 after it vacated the Ampati seat. Mukul Sangma, who won both from Ampati and Songsak, had to quit one seat. He chose Ampati – a seat he won five times — making the assembly election essential.
“This victory has increased my responsibility. I hope to carry on with the good work that my father has done,” Ms. Shira said after the result was announced.
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