SHILLONG: The stage is finally set for holding by-elections to seven vacant district council seats as the Supreme Court on Tuesday signed the order permitting the State government to hold the polls as per the schedule fixed it.
As per the calendar of events fixed by the State government, the by-elections will be held on December 13 and the counting will be held on December 16.
The draft electoral roll will be published on October 10.
After the High Court, through an order on September 1, disapproved the date fixed by the State government, the Supreme Court in its order on September 9 had stayed the order of the High Court and wanted the State government to go ahead with the polls.
The order of the Supreme Court was after the State government filed a special leave petition against the order of the High Court.
Earlier during the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, supported by Ranjan Mukherjee, counsel for the State government, submitted that the petitioners are committed to holding the by-election for the six constituencies in KHADC and one in JHADC as per the schedule of events approved by the State government.
After hearing this, the Supreme Court in its order on Tuesday said, “That submission is recorded and the operation of the impugned judgment (HC order of September 1) stayed with the observation that the elections in question shall be completed in accordance with the schedule”.
Mukherjee said over phone from Delhi on Tuesday that since the Meghalaya Governor was yet to receive the copy of the order, there was delay in the notification of polls, but with the order uploaded on Tuesday, he hoped that the notification will be made at the earliest.
