Shillong, March 21 (IANS) Six candidates, including former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Agitok Sangma and union minister Vincent H. Pala filed nomination papers Friday for the Lok Sabha elections in Meghalaya, an Election Commission official said.
Meghalaya has two parliamentary constituencies -- Shillong and Tura -- that will go to polls April 9.
Sangma, who returned to the national political scene by seeking the mandate from Tura parliamentary constituency, filed his papers as the National People's Party (NPP) candidate before Returning Officer Pravin Bakshi.
"I fought nine elections from Tura. You know the results of the nine times and do your assessment," Sangma told IANS, while exuding confidence of his return to the Lok Sabha for the tenth straight time.
Sangma's foray into politics began in 1977 when he won the Lok Sabha elections from Tura on a Congress ticket.
Meghalaya's opposition United Democratic Party, Garo National Council and the Bharatiya Janata Party have decided not to field their nominee, but instead extend support to Sangma.
He went on to win the Lok Sabha elections in 1984, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004 besides the by-election in 2006. In 2004, he contested as a Trinamool Congress candidate.
Congress candidate Daryl William Cheran Momin who is pitted against the veteran Garo political leader also submitted his nomination papers. Momin is the grandson of first Meghalaya chief minister, late Capt. Williamson A. Sangma.
"I am not at all sacred to take on Purno Sangma and the youth of Garo Hills are behind me to vote him (Sangma) out from Tura parliamentary seat," he said.
Meanwhile, Pala, the sitting Congress MP, filed his nomination along with three other candidates from the Shillong parliamentary seat.
BJP candidate Shibun Lyngdoh, CPI candidate Richard D. Shabong and Independent candidate P.B.M. Basaiawmoit also submitted their nominations before the returning officer of Shillong, Sanjay K. Goyal.
Two regional political parties -- Hill State People's Democratic Party and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement -- have extended support to Basaiawmoit.
The total number of candidates who have filed their nomination papers for the two parliamentary seats in Meghalaya has reached eight with six candidates, including that of UDP candidate Paul Lyngdoh and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee Armerington Kharshiing from Shillong constituency and two from Tura constituency.
March 22 is the last date for candidates to submit their papers. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place March 24 at 11 a.m. while the last date of withdrawal of candidature is March 26.
Great success in fighting Coronavirus, order to increase production of HIV drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir
According to the medical journal Lancet, it is being tested in China how effective anti-HIV drugs are in the case of corona virus. World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said
Defeat 'forces of darkness', Sonia urges voters
Thrissur (Kerala), April 7 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday appealed to voters to defeat the "forces of darkness" while slamming the BJP for being divisive and the CPI-M for pursuing
Har Ghar Tiranga: Upload a selfie with tricolor here, PM Modi urged, know-how
The country is going to celebrate its 77th Independence Day on the 15th of August. All preparations have been made for the hoisting of the national flag and the program at the Red Fort in the capital
Centre alerts Northeast over terror attacks before R-Day
Agartala/Aizawl/Imphal, Jan 25 (IANS) The union home ministry has alerted the northeastern states over possible terror attacks in the run-up to the Republic Day Monday, an official said
Don't write off Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP!
As the nation waits with bated breath for the results of the just concluded mammoth 10-stage election, one clear winner is already on display. And that is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its radically
Lockdown may continue in Maharashtra till end of May, Uddhav Thackeray signs
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing an all-party leaders meeting through video conference on Thursday, indicated that the lockdown could be extended to the end of May in the state's
Delhi: Manish Sisodia will now be prosecuted in the espionage case, the Ministry of Home Affairs has permitted to register an FIR
After the alleged scam in the Delhi government's new excise policy, now Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's difficulties are increasing due to the espionage case (Feedback Unit Case). In the latest
Coronavirus Updates: Less than 18 thousand active cases of corona in the country, 1326 new cases in 24 hours
Corona cases have decreased once again in the country. The Health Ministry said that in the last 24 hours, a total of 1,326 new cases of corona infection have been reported. During this 8 people died.
Snow, rain in store in Himachal (Lead)
Shimla, Jan 1 (IANS) It was a sunny yet nippy morning in Himachal Pradesh on the first day of 2015.The Met Office said there are chances of snow and rain in the state as a fresh western disturbance
UP set for 'sky war' ahead of Lok Sabha battle (Election Special)
Lucknow, March 14 (IANS) The battle for the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh is set to be fought in the skies -- or so it seems.All major political parties have lined up a string of helicopters