Tura, Oct 6: National People’s Party (NPP) candidate Abdus Saleh on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming bye-elections to Rajabala Constituency at DC office Tura before the Returning Officer CN Sangma.
Accompanied Sh. Abdus Saleh for filing of his nomination papers as our party candidate for the upcoming by-elections for Rajabala constituency.
With people’s blessings, we look forward to serve the plain belt areas of Garo Hills. pic.twitter.com/B3O2HpV8wm
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) October 6, 2021
He was accompanied by NPP chief and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, while a large number of supporters of the party waited outside the DC office.
Saleh is the first candidate to file his nomination papers. He was accompanied by his wife and senior NPP functionaries, also.
The Rajabala election will have multiple candidates in the contest including the BJP’s Kingstone B Marak, Congress’ Hashina Yasmine Mondol, widow of Congress legislator Dr Azad Zaman, and sitting Congress MDC Ashahel D Shira, who has not ruled out contesting as an Independent or from another party, other than the Congress which has given the ticket to Dr Azad’s widow.
Abdus Saleh’s tryst with politics
Abdus Saleh is a former teacher from Mahendraganj constituency who entered politics for the first time as an Independent candidate from that constituency and won its bye-election.
He went on to win the next election again from Mahendraganj but five years later shifted to Rajabala after the delimitation which made Mahendraganj a reserved seat.
He lost to Ashahel D Shira, Independent candidate, in the 2013 elections and again to DR Azad Zaman of the Congress in 2018 elections from Rajabala.
NPP candidates for Mawryngkneng and Mawphlang
NPP has fielded Pyniaid S. Syiem from Mawryngkneng and KHADC MDC Lamphrang Blah from Mawphlang. Blah joined NPP on Tuesday, after being with Congress for over 2 decades.
It may be mentioned here that bye-elections to three Assembly seats – Rajabala, Mawryngkneng and Mawphlang – are slated for October 30 and counting is on November 2. The three seats fell vacant following the death of their sitting legislators viz. David A Nongrum from Mawryngkneng constituency, SK Sunn from Mawphlang constituency and Dr Azad Zaman from Rajabala constituency.
