M’laya fully prepared for June 18 polls: CEO
SHILLONG, May 29: As Meghalaya counts down to the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls, the conspicuous absence of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) from a crucial briefing on Friday signals a brewing political storm over who will occupy the state’s lone seat in the Upper House.
The briefing, conducted by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) BDR Tiwari, was intended to outline the election schedule and procedures for the seat currently held by NPP’s Dr Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, whose term expires on June 21. While the NPP, BJP, and HSPDP attended, the no-show by the UDP and VPP—key players in the state’s political landscape—comes amid growing uncertainty within the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) coalition.
Tiwari attributed the absences to “prior engagements,” but the lack of representation from major regional parties underscores the high stakes of the upcoming contest.
The NPP has yet to name its candidate to succeed Kharlukhi. NPP state organising secretary Don War stated that while the party expects to field a candidate, a final decision will only be made after internal deliberations.
The coalition dynamics are equally fluid. HSPDP general secretary P Ryntathiang confirmed his party is still weighing its position. Despite being a constituent of the RDA alongside the UDP, Ryntathiang said the HSPDP has yet to take a final stand on the Rajya Sabha polls and expects to clarify its position by next week.
The election timeline is now set: the official notification will be issued on June 1, with nominations closing on June 8. Scrutiny will follow on June 9, and the deadline for withdrawal of candidature is June 11. Polling will take place on June 18 from 9 am to 4 pm, with the counting of votes starting at 5 pm the same day.
During the meeting, officials briefed attendees on the proportional representation system and the “open ballot” rules. Under these regulations, members of recognised political parties must show their marked ballot papers to their party’s authorised agent. Independent MLAs, however, are prohibited from displaying their ballots to any agent.
The CEO also emphasised strict compliance with Supreme Court mandates regarding the disclosure of any criminal antecedents of candidates. State BJP Secretary Anzie A Sangma described the session as a necessary review of the procedural responsibilities facing the parties ahead of the June 18 vote.
UDP yet to decide on candidate
The United Democratic Party (UDP), a key ally in the MDA government, is yet to decide whether to field a candidate for the upcoming biennial Rajya Sabha election from Meghalaya.
UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh stated on Friday that the party has not reached a decision. “We are yet to decide whether we will field a candidate or not,” he said.
Lyngdoh also clarified that the party has not determined if it will support a candidate from the National People’s Party (NPP). “I will discuss the matter with our MLAs first to decide our course of action,” he said, adding that the NPP has not yet formally requested the UDP’s support. Within the NPP, Garo Hills MLAs are reportedly pushing for the party to nominate a candidate from their region. Former minister James Sangma is emerging as a frontrunner for the seat.
