Two MLAs died this year within a month of each other. While the Mawryngkneng MLA, David Nongrum passed away on February 2 this year, the Rajabala MLA Azad Zaman passed away on March 3, 2021. The constituencies of these two MLAs have remained orphaned with the Covid pandemic derailing attempts by the Election Commission to have bye-elections to the two constituencies. However, if the bye-polls to the Bhabanipur Constituency in West Bengal can be held on September 30 next to enable Mamata Banerjee to contest so that she can legitimately hold the Chief Minister’s post, why are the two constituencies in Meghalaya left out of the by-polls? Perhaps the Meghalaya State Election Commission has its own reasons to defer the by-polls. In July this year the State Election Commissioner had said that the ECI is waiting and watching the Covid situation before announcing the by-polls. West Bengal had a more severe Covid wave than Meghalaya yet the ECI has announced the by-polls for three constituencies of that State namely Bhabanipur, Jangipur and Samserganj. Granted that Mamata Banerjee has to be elected from a constituency within six months of her assuming chief ministership since she had lost to Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram constituency but the yardsticks adopted by the ECI should be the same for all.
Legislators have a major role to play not just in law-making but also in the development of their constituencies. They flag important issues related to the State in the legislature. People of the two constituencies have remained unrepresented for six months. A bye-election is the mandated process to fill a vacancy in the state legislatures or Parliament. The process derives its legitimacy from the Representation of Peoples’ Act 1951. A vacancy arises in case of death, or resignation or removal from office or when individuals elected to two seats vacate one of the seats. Bye-elections are held regularly when a vacancy arises and except in cases where general elections are scheduled to be held within the next one year, the ECI almost always conducts the elections within six months of the seat falling vacant. It is rather curious therefore as to why the hemming and hawing about Meghalaya. Mawryngkneng constituency extends over a wide area beginning from Puriang which adjoins West Jaintia Hills and ends up to Mawkhanu adjoining Ri Bhoi district. These are also areas with the worst roads and development indices. Similar is the case with Rajabala which is affected by floods. People have been putting up with these problems in the hope that they will elect a new MLA who would set things right. Now that aspiration has to be kept on hold for reasons best known to the ECI.
