Intense Battle
FRONTLINE|March 2, 2018

Meghalaya is all set to witness a close contest between the ruling Congress and a BJP-regional parties combine.

Sushanta Talukdar
Intense Battle

MUKUL SANGMA is the second politician after the late Salseng C. Marak to have completed a full five year term as Chief Minister in the 46 years since the creation of the State of Meghalaya. However, that does not make the 2018 Assembly elections easy for him or the ruling Congress party.

Frequent changes of guard at the helm of affairs had been the only political constant for a major part of the State’s history. Elections to the 60-member Assembly will be held on February 27.

The rise of the National People’s Party (NPP) as a strong political force, the expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) organisational base, the move by the NPP and the United Democratic Party (UDP) to jump on to the anti-Congress bandwagon, and the anti-incumbency sentiment are likely to reduce the elections to a battle between the Congress and the rest although the opposition parties have not arrived at a formal alliance. However, the UDP and two other regional parties, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the Garo National Council (GNC), have entered into a seat-sharing agreement.

In 2013, the Congress won 29 seats and secured a vote share of 34.78 per cent. The UDP won eight seats, the HSPDP four , the NPP two, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) two, the GNC one, the North East Social Democratic Party (NESDP) one and independents 13. The BJP contested 13 seats and secured a vote share 1.27 per cent. The UDP secured 17.11 per cent, the NPP 8.81 per cent, the HSPDP 4.17 per cent, the NCP 1.84 per cent, the GNC 0.71 per cent, the NESDP 0.78 per cent and independents 27.69 per cent of the vote.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2, 2018-Ausgabe von FRONTLINE.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2, 2018-Ausgabe von FRONTLINE.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS FRONTLINEAlle anzeigen
How Not To Handle An Epidemic
FRONTLINE

How Not To Handle An Epidemic

The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
Tragedy on foot
FRONTLINE

Tragedy on foot

As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
Sarpanchs as game changers
FRONTLINE

Sarpanchs as game changers

Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

time-read
7 Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
Scapegoating China
FRONTLINE

Scapegoating China

As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.

time-read
10 Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
New worries
FRONTLINE

New worries

Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
FRONTLINE

No love lost for labour

Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
Capital's Malthusian moment
FRONTLINE

Capital's Malthusian moment

In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
Understanding migration
FRONTLINE

Understanding migration

When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.

time-read
10 Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
FRONTLINE

Waiting for Jabalpur moment

The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
June 5, 2020
An empty package
FRONTLINE

An empty package

The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
June 5, 2020