Meghalaya: A battleground of former CMs

• D D Lapang: The current CM, he has held the top post three times (1992-1993, 2003-2006 and 2007-till now). In 2006, he was toppled by his own party colleague J D Rymbai, but bounced back in March 2007. During his tenures as CM, his government was mired in controversies like the police firing that killed nine students over the shifting of the Meghalaya Board of School Education from Tura to Shillong and more recently, the handing over of six power projects to private companies. If he and S C Marak are elected, and if his party is in a position to form the next government, a stiff competition for the post of CM is assured.

• P A Sangma: The former Lok Sabha Speaker does not have competition from the party. He will be the CM if NCP gets the majority. Though Sangma tried his best to bring about change and development during his tenure as CM from 1988-1990, he was a novice in state politics at that time. Despite heading a coalition government with 48 members in a 60-member Assembly, he was toppled by late CM B B Lyngdoh.

• E K Mawlong: The UDP leader was the CM from 2000 to 2001. He was toppled by his coalition partner NCP. In 2001, he got embroiled in the Kolkata Meghalaya House scandal and the NCP pulled the carpet from underneath his government after splitting the UDP. Subsequently, he lost the leadership of the UDP and the 2003 election. Recently the Shillong Bench of Gauhati High Court cleared his name from the scandal as the CBI had failed to initiate investigation. Many feel that if he is elected this time, the UDP president and Deputy CM Donkupar Roy will have a rival in him for the parliamentary party leadership.

• J D Rymbai: An unassuming and soft-spoken Congress veteran, who represented the Jirang constituency four terms. He, however, pulled a surprise when he along with Congress dissidents dislodged Lapang from the CM chair and occupied the post from 2006 to 2007. He is now contesting as a UDP candidate and is not in the race for CM post.

• F A Khonglam: The first Independent legislator to occupy the CM post in the country from 2001 to 2003. He is contesting the polls as a candidate of Hills State People’s Democratic Party, But getting the CM post would be like chasing a rainbow as his party is unlikely to pick up enough seats.