Ernest Mawrie, Meghalaya BJP chief, lost in the assembly election 2023 from the West Shillong constituency with 20.07 per cent of the vote, according to the Election Commission of India’s website.
Paul Lyngdoh of the United Democratic Party (UDP) secured 7,917 (42.14%) votes, defeating his closest rival Mohendro Rapsang of the National People’s Party (NPP) by 3,485 votes.
Mawrie made headlines last month when said that if the BJP came to power in Meghalaya, it would not impose any restrictions on the people consuming beef. Mawrie said Meghalaya is a Christian-majority state and if the BJP came to power, it would provide more security to the Christians.
“I cannot make a statement on the resolution adopted by other states. We are in Meghalaya, everybody eats beef, and there is no restriction. Yes, I eat beef too. There is no ban in Meghalaya. It is the lifestyle of the people, no one can stop it. There is no such rule in India also. Some states have passed some acts. In Meghalaya, we have a slaughterhouse, everybody takes a cow or pig and brings it to the market. It could be a hygienic one. So the people they have the habit,” news agency ANI quoted Mawrie as saying.
Also Read: Meghalaya Election Results 2023 Live updates
Before the counting, Mawrie said his party would win 10-15 seats in this election in Meghalaya. “After voting, we have discussed and we believe, we will win a minimum of 10 seats and a maximum of 15 seats,” Mawrie had told ANI.
He further said that without BJP no one party would be able to form the next government in Meghalaya.
The counting of votes for 59 assembly constituencies in Meghalaya was held on February 27.
Ahead of the counting of votes, Meghalaya chief minister and NPP chief Conrad Sangma met his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Tuesday night. Notably, Sarma is the convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
The exit polls published by various media groups predicted that the northeastern state would have a hung house, with Sangma’s NPP emerging as the single-largest party.
