Sunday, February 19 2006 15:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Shillong: Increasing his victory margin, NCP veteran Purno A Sangma today (Feb 19 2006) retained the Tura Lok Sabha seat for the ninth time in a row defeating his nearest Congress candidate Mukul Sangma by a margin of over one lakh.

The Congress candidate, who had to resign from the state cabinet owing to the police firing on student protestors that left nine dead, was 1,01,176 votes behind Sangma.

In the bypoll held on February 16, the former Lok Sabha Speaker repeated the 2004 feat when he had drubbed the same candidate from Congress in a straight fight by 72,763 votes.

The Tura seat fell vacant after Sangma quit the post in October last to protest the twin police firing on student protestors over the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) revamping issue in Garo Hills on September 30 that left nine dead and injured over 100.

Besides the two heavy-weights, a couple of independent candidates were in the fray. Sangma's win would also facilitate the veteran to re-enter the Lok Sabha as an NCP member as he fought the 2004 elections under the Nationalist Trinamool Congress banner owing to differences with NCP leader Sharad Pawar.

For Mukul Sangma, this was the successive loss in Lok Sabha polls. His image had already taken a beating following the police firing for which many held him responsible as the then home and education minister.

Soon after the results were out, NCP leader mounted on an open car and went out in a procession roaming the main thoroughfares of Tura town. About 300 vehicles followed him.

'Long live Purno Sangma' and 'Garoland zindabad' rented the air as people from all walks of life and residents from houses came out to greet him.