Over 91 per cent of the electorate cast their votes for the adjourned Sohiong assembly byelection in Meghalaya till 5 pm on May 10, election officials said.
No report of poll-violence was reported.
Chief electoral officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor said that till 5 pm the total number of voters who cast their ballot was 91.87 per cent and the voting percentage was expected to go higher.
Election to 23-Sohiong (ST) assembly seat, which is one of the 55 out of the total 60 reserved for the Scheduled Tribe in the Meghalaya legislative assembly, was adjourned just before the February 27 assembly elections due to the death of one of the candidates Horju Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh, a former minister and candidate of the United Democratic Party (UDP) on February 20.
Sohiong constituency in East Khasi Hills has over 34,000 registered voters out of which 17,000 are females and 16,000 are male voters.
Polling started on a brisk note on May 10 and by 9 am 26 per cent of the voters cast their ballot. The numbers kept on rising and by 3 pm the voting percentage touched 87.39 per cent.
The main contest in the Sohiong constituency is between Samlin Malngiang of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), Synshar Lyngdoh Thabah from UDP and S Osborne Kharjana of Congress.
The other candidates in the fray are Sereph E Kharbuki of the BJP, Sandondor Ryntathiang of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party and Stodingstar Thabah of Trinamool Congress.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, who is the president of the NPP, lashed out at some of his alliance partners for speaking ill about the NPP. Similarly, there was some counter attack against the NPP by the UDP and the Congress.
The counting of votes which would be declared on May 13 might have an impact on the MDA alliance and the cabinet formation.
There are indications there might be some changes in the cabinet and the UDP might lose its share in the cabinet, especially after two People’s Democratic Front legislators, Gavin Miquel Mylliem and Banteidor Lyngdoh merged with the NPP.
The UDP currently has two legislators in the Meghalaya cabinet and the outcome of the poll would decide if this number would be reduced in the event the NPP candidate wins.
