GUWAHATI/SHILLONG: Assembly elections will be held on February 27 next in Meghalaya and Nagaland while Tripura goes to polls on February 18 as per the two-phase election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India for the three Northeastern states on Thursday. The counting will be conducted in all the three states on March 3 and results will be declared on March 3
Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura all have 60 Assembly seats each. EVM and VVPAT will be used in all three states, first level checks have been completed.
Tripura has to elect a new assembly by March 6. The terms of the Meghalaya and Nagaland assemblies end on 13 and 14 March respectively.
As for Meghalaya and Nagaland, the date of issue of Gazette notification is January 31, last date for filing of nomination is February 7, date for scrutiny of nomination is February 8 and last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 12.
With regard to Tripura, date of issue of Gazette notification is January 24, last date of nomination is January 31, date for scrutiny of nomination is February 1 and last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 3.
As per the notification from ECI, the number of polling stations has showed a significant increase in Meghalaya with an increase of 24 percent, i.e. 2485 in the year 2013 to 3082 in 2018.
The number of polling stations in Nagaland in the year 2013 is 2023 while it has increased to 2187 in 2018 (8.10 percent). The polling station in Tripura in the year 2013 is 3041 and 3214 in 2018 (5.69 per cent).
The ruling party in Meghalaya is Congress, in Nagaland it is the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) and in Tripura it is Communist Party of India (Marxist).