NE Assembly bypolls highlight dynastic politics

• Aditya Golay Tamang, son of Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, won the Soreng Chakung Assembly constituency unopposed.
• Tamang was one of two Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) candidates to win without an election.
• Satish Chandra Rai won the Namchi-Singithang seat after his Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) rival Daniel Rai withdrew from the poll.
• The SDF’s Prem Bahadur Bhandari withdrew his candidature from Soreng Chakung, paving the way for Tamang’s uncontested victory.
• The outcome in Sikkim leaves six seats in Assam and Meghalaya, where the byelections will be held on November 13.
• The bypolls in five Assembly seats in Assam and the Gambegre constituency in Meghalaya were necessitated after the MLAs vacated their seats following their election to the Lok Sabha.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate, former extremist Bernard N. Marak, is confident of winning Gambegre, a Congress bastion.
• The nomination of 38 candidates has been found valid across five constituencies in Assam.