Meghalaya is all set for polling in 59 of the 60 assembly seats where more than 21.6 lakh voters will decide the fate of 369 candidates on Monday, as the ruling National People's Party fights to retain power, while the BJP and Trinamool Congress attempt to unseat the incumbent government from power.
As the high-decibel campaign for the elections end and the state gears up for yet another election, here is a look at candidates who are graduate or above.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee campaigned for the elections, hoping to seize power in the northeastern state where the TMC overnight became the main opposition a year back after inducting most of the Congress MLAs, including Sangma.
The BJP is hopeful of improving its tally this time, fighting the elections on its own after running the government for the last five years as part of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief JP Nadda and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the BJP's campaign in the state.
The Congress, which lost all of its MLAs to other parties in the run-up to the elections, is hopeful of reversing its fortunes with the fresh faces it fielded for the poll battle. Senior party leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally in Shillong, promising to protect the culture, languages and traditions of the northeastern state.
The Meghalaya assembly has 60 seats with a total of 369 candidates contesting the elections, the votes for which will be counted on March 2.
Published 26 February 2023, 21:38 IST