SHILLONG, Feb. 20 -- Shillong Lok Sabha member Ricky AJ Syngkon died at a hospital on Thursday evening, shortly after he collapsed while playing at a futsal ground in Mawiong on the outskirts of Shillong. He was 54.

Syngkon collapsed at around 6.30 pm during the game. He was immediately rushed to Dr. Gordon H Robert Hospital, where he was declared dead at around 7 pm, people familiar with the matter said.

Syngkon was elected to the Lok Sabha in April 2024 as a candidate of the Voice of the People's Party. He secured 5,71,078 votes out of 10,33,251 votes polled, decisively defeating the three-time incumbent MP Vincent H Pala of the Congress.

An academic-turned-politician, Syngkon was an assistant professor in the Department of Commerce ...