Hitler, Newton, Frankenstein: Some of the Indian candidates

Mar 1, 2008, 16:04 GMT

New Delhi - A curious list of candidates with names such as Frankenstein, Hilarious, Clever and Newton are scheduled to contest the legislative assembly elections in India's north-eastern Meghalaya state, news reports said Saturday.

Meghalaya, where state assembly elections are to be held on Monday, has a predominantly Christian tribal population with a penchant for naming their children after the famous or infamous or simply choosing expressive words such as Gregarious or Boldness, IANS news agency reported.

The state, one of the smallest in India, has a population of 2.3 million, dominated by the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribal people who speak their own language as well as a bit of English.

Garo tribal leader and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Adolf Hitler is contesting Monday's election in Rangsakona constituency. His opponent is Zenith Sangma, a minister in the outgoing cabinet.

'People here have a fascination for exotic names and hence give their children strange names,' R Lyngdoh, a history teacher, was quoted as saying. Often people give little thought to the connotations behind a name.

For voters in Rangsokona, Hitler is simply a politician who once held an important ministerial post. So is Frankenstein Momin, a former education minister.

Boniface Bamon of NCP is faces a close contest from Britainwar Dan in Nartiang constituency.

Other candidates for Monday's elections are Romeo Rani, Darling Lamare, Moonlight Pariat, Boldness Nongum, Founder Strong, Gregarious, Hilarious and Budshell Marbaniang.

Kennedy, Chamberlaine, Livingstone and Newton are also among the 331 candidates contesting for the 60-member legislature.