Congress chooses former MCS officer against Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in South Tura

Laben Ch Marak, a former Meghalaya Civil Services (MCS) officer, will be the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate in the South Tura constituency, where he will face Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

Laben was selected as one of three candidates for the party ticket, with the other two being Brenzield Marak and Sanjiv Sangma.

Debora Marak, the state working president of the Congress, told reporters on January 8 that Laben Marak had been chosen as the party's candidate and that the formal announcement will be made together with the other party candidates.

According to the sources, Laben Ch Marak (44 years old) joined the Meghalaya Police Service (MPS) as a DSP in 2010, but subsequently transferred to the MCS as an EAC in 2012. He worked as an EAC in Ampati and then as the BDO of the Rongram block.

It needs mention here that he resigned from the state government service in 2017 and ran as an Independent candidate in the Dadenggre seat against current MLA James Sangma in the 2018 assembly elections as he was unable to seal the victory.

According to the reports, he had previously run unsuccessfully in the Rangsakona assembly elections in 2003.

Laben holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master of Arts in English from Delhi, as well as a B.Ed from Tura College of Teachers Education. He is also a former FKJGP Garo Hills area president.

He was also the former founder and chief instructor of West Garo Hills Taekwondo martial arts school, as well as the state president of the National Students Union of India.

His past connections in the Congress party appear to have worked in his favour, as he was one of the youngest joint secretaries of the district Congress committee (DCCI), holding the financial role.