Shillong, May 29: Meghalaya will elect its Rajya Sabha representative on June 18, with polling and counting scheduled to take place on the same day as part of the Election Commission of India’s biennial election programme.
Chief Electoral Officer B.D.R. Tiwari announced that the election notification will be issued on June 1, while the last date for filing nominations has been fixed for June 8. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on June 9, and candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until June 11.
Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on June 18, followed by counting of votes at 5 pm. The entire election process is expected to conclude by June 20.
Ahead of the election, Tiwari chaired a meeting with representatives of political parties in Shillong to brief them on the election schedule, nomination procedures and voting rules. Officials also explained the system of proportional representation through the single transferable vote, which is followed in Rajya Sabha elections.
Political parties were reminded about the mandatory disclosure of candidates’ criminal antecedents in compliance with directions issued by the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.
Election authorities further clarified voting norms for MLAs, stating that legislators belonging to recognised political parties may display their marked ballot papers only to their party’s authorised polling agent, while independent MLAs are prohibited from showing their ballots to any agent.
During the interaction, officials also outlined procedures relating to ballot validity, recording of voter preferences, counting of votes and calculation of the winning quota. Political parties were briefed on nomination requirements, including affidavits, party authorisation forms and security deposit formalities.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer, all necessary preparations, including venue inspections and coordination with stakeholders, have been completed to ensure a smooth and transparent election process.
The Election Commission has also announced Rajya Sabha elections for one seat each in the northeastern states of Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. Elections will additionally be conducted for four seats each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka, three seats each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and two seats in Jharkhand.
