In a shocking turn of events, Shillong Lok Sabha MP Ricky AJ Singkon from the Voice of the People Party (VPP) passed away on Thursday evening after suddenly falling ill while playing football with friends. The sudden demise of the first-time parliamentarian has sent ripples of grief across Meghalaya’s political landscape.
Singkon was enjoying a casual football match at the Mawlong Mawiong playground when he collapsed on the field. Onlookers rushed him to the nearby Mawiong Community Health Center for emergency care. However, with no doctors available, he was quickly referred to a higher facility.
He was then transferred to Dr. H. Gordon Roberts Hospital in Jaiaw for advanced treatment. Despite the medical team’s valiant efforts, Singkon was declared dead at around 8:42 PM. The news left his supporters, colleagues, and the people of Meghalaya in stunned silence.
Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister Preston Tinsong, VPP President Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, several MLAs, senior political leaders, and party workers hurried to the hospital to pay their respects and console the grieving family.
Elected in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Singkon had scripted history by defeating three-time Congress MP Vincent H. Pala by over 3.7 million votes on a VPP ticket. His grassroots connect, advocacy for tribal rights, good governance, and transparency had made him a rising star in Meghalaya politics.
Leaders from all parties expressed profound condolences, remembering him as a dedicated public servant whose untimely death leaves a void in state and national politics, especially within the VPP.
Meghalaya mourns the loss of a dynamic leader who promised transformative change. His legacy of commitment to the people will endure.