The man Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma feared most politically, the man who handed him two electoral defeats in Assembly elections, was Congress leader Clement R. Marak, whose rivalry with the present Meghalaya Chief Minister spanned three fiercely contested battles in Selsella. Although Clement, who remained a Congress leader until his last breath, is no longer alive, his son, Agassi R. Marak, joined Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP) on Wednesday, bringing the family of his former electoral rival into the ruling party. Clement defeated Sangma in the 2005 Selsella by-election and again in the 2013 Assembly elections, while Sangma managed to win their only other electoral encounter in 2008. Clement, the sitting Selsella MLA, died at a private hospital in New Delhi in 2018.
Welcoming Agassi into the NPP, party national president and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma recalled his three electoral contests with Clement and acknowledged the impact of those defeats on his political journey. “Against Clement R Marak I contested three times… in two elections he defeated me. Those defeats were important transformation for me as an individual and also as a politician, I have deep respect for Clement marak,” Sangma said. Describing Agassi’s induction as an honour, he added, “Today his son is here with us and thus give me great honour to recieve them.”
Agassi said his decision to join the NPP was driven by his commitment to the development of his constituency and the need to work with the government to fulfil that objective. “the reason I joined NPP is basically for the betterment of my constituency, as a leader that has always been my priority,” he said. Referring to his father’s political rivalry with Sangma, Agassi said the Chief Minister respected and admired his father. He added that he believed his father would have been proud of his decision. Asked whether he would contest the next Assembly election, Agassi said, “See, it depends of party leadership, if they want me to apply for the party ticket then definitely I will.”
Sangma, however, made it clear that the party had not made any commitment regarding Agassi’s candidature. “Party will decide, we will all sit togather. Right now there are no conditions that have been put that so, and so has to be given ticket or no conditions or no discussions that so and so will stand, and the other one will not stand,” he said. Emphasising that the decision would depend on the political situation, he added, “What is in the best interest of the party?” Sangma said the induction of new leaders would benefit the party and that the leadership would take a collective decision.
The electoral record captures the intensity of the rivalry between the two leaders. Clement defeated Conrad Sangma by 182 votes in the 2005 Selsella by-election, polling 2,745 votes against Sangma’s 2,563. Sangma turned the tables in 2008, winning by 1,394 votes with 5,648 votes against Clement’s 4,254. However, Clement regained the constituency in 2013, securing 12,004 votes against Sangma’s 9,897, a margin of 2,107 votes.
