'Moonlight Pariot, Firstborn Manner, Sunshine Makri...': Meet some curious candidates for Meghalaya polls
Feb 26, 2023
Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], February 26 : Every time Meghalaya goes to polls, the names of some candidates and voters have always caught everyone's attention and the situation is the same this time as well.
Among candidates in the fray for Monday's Meghalaya Assembly elections are 'Moonlight', 'Firstborn Manner', 'Auspicious', 'Sounder Strong', and others touching across the parties vying for their fate.
Not just the candidates' names, the names of voters which are after the countries and Indian states have also caught the wide attention of the people.
Names of some voters in the poll-bound states are amusing and downright bizarre. These are Firstborn Khiewtam, Thursday Diengdoh, Sunday Diengdoh, Nuclear Khiewtam, Jupiter, Venus Khongtim, Saturn, Remainder Khongsdam, July Khongsdam, Complan Tangsong, Councilor Tangsong, Gentle Tangsong, Favour, Player, Meghalaya Khongtim, Rajdoot Jymmang, First Starwell Khongyiang, Double Bless Khongwir, Faithful Massar, Everyday Tangsong, Tripura Khongim, Tibet Diengdoh, Sweden Kharjana, and Village Khongtim are among a few of them.
Primarily these voters reside in remote border villages of the state.
According to locals, most people in these areas have a fondness for English and name themselves or their kin after fancy English words. And, as is evidenced by some of the names on the electoral rolls, they couldn't care less about the meaning of the English words they were named after.
Whereas some intriguing names of other candidates in the fray for Monday's polls and the party they come from are Moonlight Pariot (UDP), Coming One Ymbon (NPP), Lasting Suchiang (TMC), Firstborn Manner (BJP), Sunmoon D Marak (TMC), Sunshine Makri (UDP), Mayborn Grace Lyngdoh (Voice of The People Party), Process T Sawkmie (UDP), Brightstarwell Marbaniang (Voice of The People Party), Manuel Badwar (Congress), Auspicious Lyngdoh Mawphlang (PDF), Playness Khiewtam (TMC), Wellborn Bynnud (Congress), Counsellor Mukhim (BJP), Fourteenson Lyngkhoi (Congress), Sounder Strong Cajee (TMC), and Starline Momin (Independent).
Umniuh Nongrim, a village close to the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Shella assembly constituency of East Khasi Hills district, has 745 registered voters. In contrast, Umniuh B, another remote village in this poll-bound Northeast state, has 781 voters.
And, as it turns out, the majority of voters come from these villages.
Voting in Meghalaya will take place on Monday and the counting of votes for the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly election will be done on March 2.
