Single by-election to help NPP: Congress complains to CEC

SHILLONG: The Congress has said announcing two different schedules for election to fill the two vacancies in South Tura and Ranikor will, without any doubt, provide undue advantage to the party in power (NPP) and will therefore defeat the spirit of free and fair election.
This was the content of the letter written to the Chief Election Commissioner of India by the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday.
Waibha K Kyndiah, general secretary of MPCC, said in the letter that the Election Commission of India should consider holding of the by-polls simultaneously.
The Election Commission had on July 23 notified the by-poll to South Tura constituency.
However, the MPCC said the Election Commission has failed to notify the schedule to fill up the vacancy in Ranikor seat.
“It is pertinent to stress here on the fact that two Legislative Assembly Constituencies have fallen vacant in the state due to the resignation of two MLAs, MM Danggo from Ranikor and Agatha Sangma from South Tura, and Ranikor had fallen vacant much earlier than South Tura,” the MPCC said.
According to MPCC, in this context, it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to fill up the vacancies of both the constituencies simultaneously.