Meghalaya ruling alliance to jointly fight LS poll, BJP opts out

Shillong, March 11 (IANS) Meghalaya's ruling alliance on Monday announced it would jointly field former Union minister Agatha K. Sangma from the Tura Lok Sabha seat and United Democratic Party's Jemino Mawthoh from the Shillong constituency.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is also part of the National People's Party-led, six-party Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), decided to field its own candidates from the state's two parliamentary constituencies.

"The MDA have unanimously taken a decision on fielding a common candidate from both Shillong and Tura seats," Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma told journalists.

Both Mawthoh and Agatha Sangma, the sister of the Chief Minister and the youngest daughter of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma, will contest on symbols of their own party's - the UDP and the NPP, respectively.

Agatha Sangma, who won from Tura parliamentary constituency in the 2009 elections and served as 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 Sangma to enter the assembly.

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

Mawthoh, a UDP legislator from Nongthymmai Assembly constituency till losing the 2018 Assembly elections, is likely to face sitting Congress MP Vincent H Pala.