This Article is From May 16, 2016

Meghalaya's Tura Votes For Lok Sabha By-Election

Meghalaya's Tura Votes For Lok Sabha By-Election

Voters queued up in Meghalaya's Tura to vote in the by-election. (PTI photo)

Tura, Meghalaya: Along with Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya is also holding elections today.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma had won the seat in 2014 but after his death this March, the seat fell vacant.

The current by-poll is being seen as a prestige battle as Mr Sangma's younger son, Conrad, is pitted against the Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma's wife Dikkanchi D Shira.
 

The seat fell vacant after the death of former Lok Sabha PA Sangma in March this year.

Both Shira and Conrad are not only lawmakers in the Meghalaya assembly but Conrad is the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly.

Except for a brief two year period, the Sangma family has continuously held the Tura seat since 1977.

Purno A Sangma had represented the Tura seats for a record 10 terms before deciding to send his  daughter, Agatha, in 2009 Lok Sabha.

But after his party, the National People's party, poor show in the state assembly, Sangma senior contested and won the Tura again in 2014.
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