GUWAHATI: High voting percentages were recorded during by-elections to nine Assembly seats in the Northeast on Saturday.
Five constituencies in Assam, three in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram went to the polls, necessitated either by the deaths of sitting MLAs or their defection.
Assam recorded a voting percentage of 70. The by-elections were held in Bhabanipur, Gossaigaon, Mariani, Thowra and Tamulpur seats.
The voting percentages in Meghalaya and Mizoram were 78.79 and 78.49 respectively. Mawryngkneng, Mawphlang and Rajabala in Meghalaya and Tuirial in Mizoram went to the polls.
Official sources said the voting percentages were not final as the Election Commission was awaiting reports from far-flung areas. The Congress is the only party that contested all seats.
In Assam, three turncoats were BJP candidates. Rupjyoti Kurmi (Mariani) and Sushanta Borgohain (Thowra) had dealt a body blow to the Congress by defecting to the BJP within months after winning the March-April elections. Later, the Bhabanipur MLA Phanidhar Talukdar quit the minority-based All India United Democratic Front to wear saffron.
BJP ally United People’s Party Liberal contested from Gossaigaon and Tamulpur.
In Meghalaya, the Congress was hopeful of retaining Mawryngkneng and Rajabala seats and winning Mawphlang. Meghalaya is the only state in the Northeast where the Congress’s position is relatively better.
In Mizoram, the Congress hoped to retain the Tuirial seat it lost to the Zoram People’s Movement in the 2018 elections.