SHILLONG: Charlotte W Momin of the Congress will take on chief minister Conrad Sangma in the by-election to the South Tura assembly constituency scheduled on August 23. The Congress candidate filed her nomination before returning officer Sabrella Marak at Tura on Friday afternoon. With this, two candidates have filed their nomination papers for South Tura so far.Former legislator from Ranikor, Martin M Danggo, who had earlier resigned from the seat and from the Congress, also filed his nomination papers on Friday. Danggo, a former speaker of the state assembly, will be contesting the by-election on an National People's Party (NPP) ticket. Former Congress legislator PN Syiem, who had left the party to form his own party People's Democratic Front (PDF), also filed his nomination papers on Thursday. Jackiush Sangma of the Congress also filed his nomination papers. Altogether, three candidates have filed their nomination papers for the Ranikhor bypoll.On the other hand, former South Tura MLA John Leslee Sangma, who was defeated by Agatha Sangma of the NPP in the February assembly election, is expected to file his papers by Monday, the last date for filing of nominations. Yet another aspirant, Kris Kabul Sangma, is also expected to file his nomination as an Independent candidate soon. Kris had resigned from the United Democratic Party (UDP) after the party announced its support for the candidature of chief minister Conrad Sangma for the by-election.The BJP, which is part of the NPP-led ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), will not put up candidates either in Tura or Ranikor and will extend support to NPP.Meanwhile, chief minister Conrad Sangma has already launched door-do-door campaigning, seeking support from the electorate of Tura, which has traditionally been a political fortress of the Sangma family. Conrad's father late PA Sangma had been consistently elected to the Parliament and also to the state assembly from Tura.

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