Tragedy strikes Martin Danggo

SHILLONG, Aug 27: A political tragedy has struck four-time MLA Martin Danggo (NPP) and an adjective called political suicide can be added to the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) leader Pynshngain N Syiem, yet their supporters refused to concede to the nomenclatures after the defeat in the Ranikor bypolls that was declared on Monday.

Danggo who resigned as a four-time Congress legislator and sought re-elections on the Nationalist People’s Party (NPP) ticket was convincingly defeated by the United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate Pius Marwein. The NPP candidate resigned as an MLA just three months after being elected as a Congress member of the state legislative assembly.

Danngo joined the NPP with confidence to retain his sway of the past twenty years only to be humiliated by the same candidate he defeated five months ago. It is seen as a political tragedy to him, but his close aide and NPP President of South West Khasi Hills District, Kitborlang Nongrem said, “While we accept the mandate the results is no political tragedy at all to us and our leader.” “Perhaps the electorates wanted to see a new face as a representive”, stated Nongrem, adding, “Going by the pattern of votes, the electorates from all segments were intact and it has nothing to do with our candidate defection from the congress to the NPP.”

Martin Danggo was not reachable to solicit his views on the outcome of the elections that has been viewed as a shattering to him as a 20-year-old serving legislator. More so is the catastrophe to the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) Pynshngain N Syiem. The 1978 votes he secured speak volumes on how he was annihilated. Syiem was a two-time MLA of Mawsynram. After being defeated in the February 2018 elections, he shifted based to Ranikor constituency. Political observers say that his plunged into the Ranikor bypolls and the outcome has proven that it is a political suicide. Syiem could not be contacted, but the President of the PDF Ivanlum Marbaniang refused to buy that theory. “I know about the results but I will not be able to comment further”, he told The Sentinel.