Meghalaya: Tura Lok Sabha MP resigns as Gambegre MLA

The political landscape in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district is set for a significant shift as Saleng A Sangma, the long-serving legislator from the Gambegre assembly constituency, tendered his resignation on June 10. His departure paves the way for a highly anticipated by-election in the region.

Sangma's resignation comes on the heels of his recent triumph in the Lok Sabha elections, where he secured the Tura parliamentary seat. In a formal letter addressed to Speaker Thomas A Sangma, the veteran politician stepped down from his position as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).

The Congress party, to which Sangma belongs, now finds itself in a precarious situation, with its strength in the state assembly dwindling to just four MLAs, equalling the representation of the regional Khasi party, Voice of the People (VPP). Sangma's departure leaves the Garo Hills region without a single Congress representative in the state legislature.

Gambegre, a constituency that Sangma had represented for an impressive four terms, now faces the prospect of a hard-fought by-election. According to the Election Commission of India's guidelines, a by-election must be conducted within six months to fill the vacant Gambegre assembly seat.