Meghalaya polls to coincide with Tripura, Nagaland

NEW DELHI: Election to the Meghalaya Assembly is likely to be held in February next year that too along with two more Northeastern states — Nagaland and Tripura and a string of by polls for Lok Sabha seats.
The Election Commission while keeping a close watch on the poll-related matters is planning to conduct the Lok Sabha by-polls by the month of February next year. The Commission made a statement indicating this recently.
For this, the EC has decided to conduct the elections along with assembly polls in Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura. The EC has nearly three months to conduct the by-polls and depending on the preparedness of the state machinery, the commission will take a call on scheduling the same, it hinted.
There are currently seven vacant seats in the Lok Sabha, including Anantnag where the by-poll was canceled in May over the poor law and order situation. Adding to this, the vacancies in Gorakhpur and Phulpur arose upon the resignation of Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Prasad Maurya on September 21 respectively.
The death of the sitting Araria MP Taslimuddin and Alwar MP Chand Nath Yogi on September 17, Ajmer MP Sanwar Lal Jat on August 9 and Uluberia MP Sultan Ahmed on September 4, also threw up casual vacancies.
While the term of the Meghalaya assembly expires on March 6, 2018, Nagaland and Tripura assemblies have a life up to March 13 and 14, respectively.
As EC is vested with powers to hold polls anytime within six months before the end of term of the House, there is high probability of date being scheduled in February considering coming festive season, examinations and severe winter in the NE region.