SHILLONG: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Meghalaya, on Thursday (February 2), released its candidates’ list for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

The BJP has fielded Bernard Marak, its Meghalaya unit vice-president and a former militant, as its candidate against NPP national president and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma in South Tura constituency.

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Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard Marak was arrested and later released on bail last year in numerous cases, including allegedly running a brothel at his private farmhouse in West Garo Hills district.

He was accused of running a prostitution racket at his farmhouse near Tura in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya.

Moreover, a substantial quantity of explosives was also recovered from his farmhouse near Tura.

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Notably, Bernard Marak was the former chairman of a disbanded militant group and had more than 25 criminal cases against him since the early 2000s.

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Notably, the Meghalaya BJP has fielded candidates in all the 60 constituencies in the Northeast state of Meghalaya that goes to polls this month.

Announcing the candidates’ list for the Meghalaya assembly elections BJP national secretary Rituraj Sinha said that the party will contest the polls under the tagline – Empower Meghalaya.

“Keeping in view the sentiments of the people, for the first time, our leadership has decided to contest on all 60 seats in Meghalaya. Our tagline is Empower Meghalaya,” Sinha said.

In the last Meghalaya assembly elections held in 2018, the BJP had fielded candidates in 47 seats and won only two.

Notably, polling for the elections to the 60-member Meghalaya assembly elections is slated to be held in a single phase on February 27.

Counting of votes will be conducted on March 2.