High Stakes in Gambegre: Meghalaya By-Election Kicks Off with Enthusiastic Turnout

The by-election in Meghalaya's Gambegre constituency began with a 27% voter turnout in the first two hours. Security was tight and long queues were reported. Six candidates are competing, including the Chief Minister's wife from the NPP. The election was prompted by the previous MLA's Lok Sabha election.

The by-election in the Gambegre assembly constituency of Meghalaya commenced on Wednesday morning, witnessing a 27 percent voter turnout in the initial two hours, as per official reports.

Polling began at 7 AM with stringent security arrangements in place. Long queues of voters were observed at numerous polling stations, reflecting a palpable enthusiasm among the electorate.

Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari informed PTI about the burgeoning voter participation. The election battleground features prominent candidates including the Chief Minister's spouse, contesting on an NPP ticket, among others. Triggered by the MLA's Lok Sabha election, the by-election sees 32,254 voters eligible, with significant security measures for 31 critical polling stations.

(With inputs from agencies.)