Guwahati: Meghalaya continued its tradition of not voting a single party to power, with the incumbent National People’s Party emerging as the single-largest party but short of a majority.
There were shocks and surprises at the end of counting day, with first-time legislators having the last laugh even as some old war horses were in for a reality check after coming second.
Among the first-time MLAs are candidates from regional parties are two from the newly-incepted Voice of People Party (VPP) – Brightstarwell Marbaniang (Mawlai) and Heaving Stone Kharpran (Mawryngkneng), while two are from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) – Shakliar Warjri (Mawthadraishan) and Methodius Dkhar (Mawshynrut).
Another regional party, United Democratic Party (UDP), which emerged as the ‘kingmaker’ again in the hill state with 11 seats in its kitty, also has two first-time MLAs: Olan Singh Suin, representing Mawsynram and former bureaucrat Mathew Beyondstar Kurbah from Mawphlang.
The National People’s Party (NPP), which silenced many of its critics by emerging as the single-largest party in the election, now has as many as seven first-time MLAs – Santa Mary Shylla (Sutnga Saipung), Damanbait Lamare (Umroi), Arbinstone B Marak (Selsella), Subir Marak (Rangsakona), Sanjay A. Sangma (Mahendraganj), Ian Botham K. Sangma (Salmanpara) and Sengchim N Sangma (Chokpot).
Speaking to EastMojo, one of the youngest in the fray from NPP, 26-year-old Damanbait said that he was elated about his win and thankful to the people of Umroi for supporting him. “My work would, among others, be focused on the empowerment of the youth of my constituency,” he said, after defeating sitting MLA George B Lyngdoh.
The Congress, once a dominant party, could bag just five seats, of which two now will be represented by first-timers such as Gabriel Wahlang (Nongstoin) and Charles Marngar (Mawhati).
The All India Trinamool Congress, which made its debut in Meghalaya and bagged five seats, also has two first-timers in Dr Mizanur Rahman Kazi (Rajabala) and Rupa M. Marak (Dadenggre).
Dr Kazi, who defeated his NPP rival Md Abdus Saleh by just 10 votes (the lowest margin in the poll), said, “I will focus on creating jobs, improving the condition of roads and allied communication, healthcare, besides giving special attention to farmers.”
The polls also saw two Independents – Kartush R Marak (Baghmara) and Remington Gabil Momin (Rambrai Jyrngam) as first-time lawmakers.
On the other hand, Vincent Pala, Meghalaya Congress president and a sitting Member of Parliament, witnessed one of the biggest defeats of the elections. The veteran Congress leader lost to NPP’s Santa Mary Shylla by a margin of 1853 votes.
In another setback, former chief minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma lost the Tikrikilla seat to sitting MLA Jimmy D Sangma of NPP. He, however, retained his Songsak seat.
Mukul’s wife and two-time consecutive MLA from Mahendraganj constituency Dikkanchi D Shira (AITC) also lost by a margin of 1718 votes to first-timer Sanjay A Sangma of NPP.
Mukul’s brother and three-time MLA of Rangsakona, Zenith Sangma was also unseated from a constituency he held charge in 2003, 2013 and 2018.
Besides, James P.K Sangma – a three-time National People’s Party (NPP) MLA from Dadenggre and the elder brother of chief minister Conrad Sangma – lost to TMC’s Rupa M Marak in the Dadenggre constituency by a margin of just 18 votes.
Other big names who lost include former Congress leaders who had jumped ship weeks before the polls. Himalaya M Shangpliang (Mawsynram) who had joined BJP from Trinamool Congress a few weeks before the election; Process T Sawkmie (Mawlai), who had joined UDP before the polls and Mohendro Rapsang (West Shillong), who had joined NPP all lost on Thursday.
The election in Meghalaya also saw a list of young candidates, even as most could not make the cut in their maiden foray into electoral politics.
According to a report, the average age of candidates across major parties in the Meghalaya Assembly elections 2023 was 46 years, with 34 per cent of candidates 40 or below. Among parties, the Trinamool Congress distributed the most tickets to 40 and under-40 candidates (38 per cent), followed by BJP (35 per cent), NPP (35 per cent), Congress (32 per cent) and UDP (28 per cent).
Among major parties, 79 per cent of candidates are contesting for the first time.
In the Jirang Assembly constituency, a key inter-state border seat in Ri Bhoi district, Adrian Lambert Mylliem, who is just 29, bagged as many as 11,067 votes to come second but not without putting up a stiff fight to the sitting MLA.
Adrian had high hopes of working for the youth, farmers and economically disadvantaged people of Jirang as a legislator, prior to the poll, even as he can now take solace that he competed hard and that there is always a next time with age in his repertoire.
Adrian further downplayed the talk of Congress “being weakened” this time, saying “Congress is a party that has always created new leaders in the states.
“I firmly believe that the Congress will make future state leaders. The youth need to come up and replace the veterans,” he had told this correspondent on voting day.
But unlike Adrian’s debut, one that would inspire many young voters to take up politics with that urge to do something for people, the first attempts of 36-year-old Riya Sangma of BJP and 28-year-old Congress candidate Jhanika Siangshai were challenging yet a learning experience.
Riya bagged 2075 votes to be placed fifth in the Jirang tally while Jhanika came sixth in Khliehriat under East Jaintia Hills district with just 114 votes.
In the North Shillong constituency, 31-year-old Elgiva Gwyneth Rynjah, who had fought the poll battle on a TMC ticket, found it hard as well as she could bag just 816 votes.
The self-confidence and oratory skills of the likes of Adrian and Riya among the new contestants have also been praise-worthy.
Experts here believe that the increasing participation of young men and women in electoral politics augurs well and is certainly a welcome development that breaks the monotony of veterans retaining power, mostly in the absence of young, promising candidates.
“Whether the real-life issues are tackled by the young MLAs remains to be seen in the next five years, but yes, the young minds are progressive. They infuse dynamism in electoral politics,” said a political analyst here.
Then there is the common allegation of old faces “using the party to come to power and fulfil their personal interests while in power.” The pre-poll phase had seen many veterans defecting to other parties, breaking a long association with parties that they have won from and been in power for several terms in the past.
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“So, given such defections, there is all the more need for a young brigade to take up the mantle and focus on burning and basic issues confronting their constituencies,” he said.
The electorate in the polls too comprised a mix of young and old, with many first-time voters also exercising their voting right. There were 81,000 first-time voters in Meghalaya this time.
“It is great that we had a lot of young candidates contesting the polls this time. As a young voter, the trend is encouraging and exciting at the same time,” said a first-time voter from the Jirang constituency.
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