Meghalaya: CM Conrad Sangma files nomination for upcoming assembly polls

Tura (Meghalaya) [India], February 4 : Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People's Party (NPP) national president Conrad K Sangma on Saturday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Meghalaya assembly polls in Tura. The assembly polls are slated for February 27.
Conrad filed his nomination before the Returning Officer of 51-South Tura and Additional Deputy Commissioner, Saljong R Marak.
Prior to the filing of his nomination, the NPP chief accompanied by his wife visited the grave of his late father and former CM, PA Sangma, in Tura, to seek his blessings.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Conrad said there is a positive wave for the National People's Party and the opposition is disintegrating day by day.
"Hence, in this political scenario I see the trend that NPP is heading towards getting an absolute majority and we are confident that we will get it," he said.
Talking about the issues based on which the party will fight the elections, he said, "We are moving ahead with the development work we have done in the last 5 years. And the overall work that has happened in different sectors. and the fact that the foundation has been laid, it is time to take things forward to the next level... and the continuity is important to ensure that we'll be able to achieve those goals."
Responding to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Dr Mukul Sangma's allegation that the NPP Chief is making racial comments, Conrad denied making any racial comments.
"I have said that it's (TMC) an outsider party based on the analogy where Madam Mamata Banerjee herself has said in the last West Bengal elections that BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] and other national parties are outside parties. I have said that if the same yardstick is applied to Meghalaya, with those yardsticks, which Mamata Banerjee has herself mentioned in her speech in elections, then TMC is an outside party. There is nothing racial about that comment."
On Friday, the chief minister released the party's manifesto, 'People's Document - Vision 2023-28, at a meeting held at Jowai in West Jaintia Hills District with a focus on farmers and villages and promising to create 5 lakh jobs and employment opportunities for the youth if voted back to power.
Notably, CM Conrad is seeking re-election from South Tura, which he won after being elected as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya in the bye-election for the seat in August 2018.
He polled 13,656 votes and defeated his nearest Congress rival Charlotte W Momin by a margin of over 8,400 votes. Prior to that, he was the Member of Parliament from Tura (2016-2018). After the passing away of his father Late PA Sangma, on March 4, 2016, who was then the sitting MP from the Tura seat, Conrad contested the by-election from Tura to the Lok Sabha in May 2016 and won by a record margin of 1.92 lakh votes.
He was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya on March 6, 2018.
Mentionable, the last date for filing of nomination for the Meghalaya Assembly elections 2023 is February 7. The nominations will be scrutinised on February 8 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is February 10, 2023. The polling is on February 27 and results will be declared on March 2, 2023.