Tura, Nov 13: Voting for the Gambegre constituency ended on Wednesday with a strong turnout of 90.84 percent, as all 51 polling stations wrapped up operations at 6 PM.
Since early morning, voters showed up in large numbers, queuing to cast their ballots in a closely watched bye-election. The bye-election was held to fill the vacant legislative seat after Saleng A. Sangma was elected as the Member of Parliament from Tura, a victory that left Gambegre without representation.
Adding a layer of suspense, Tuesday night saw a dramatic turn when members of the TMC party were allegedly found with large amounts of cash.
Gambegre which is home to more than 32,000 registered voters spread across 51 polling stations, will decide the fate of six candidates vying for the seat. Among the contenders are some prominent figures with deep political ties: Dr. Mehtab Chandee A Sangma, wife of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, and Sadhiarani M Sangma, the current MDC and wife of former minister Zenith Sangma.
Throughout the day, the voting process went smoothly for the most part, though technical issues briefly interrupted the proceedings. At the 21-Marapara and 50-Upper Darenggre polling stations, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) were promptly replaced. A VVPAT replacement was also made at 39-Rongkon Songital LPS, while 51-Dilniduara saw a complete Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) swap. Meanwhile, a complex replacement of the CU, BU, and VVPAT was required at 2-Aminda Simsang.
