NewKerala.com

Meghalaya Poll Body Ready for Voter Roll Revision, By-Election

Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari announced the Election Department is fully prepared for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, awaiting the Election Commission's schedule. The revision aims to address concerns over illegal immigration and duplicate voter entries, especially given Meghalaya's porous border with Bangladesh. The state is also prepared for the Shillong Parliamentary by-election following the death of MP Ricky AJ Syngkon. The bypoll must be conducted within six months of the vacancy as per constitutional norms.

Key Points: Meghalaya Prepared for Voter Revision & Shillong By-Election

  • CEO BDR Tiwari confirms readiness for voter revision
  • Process to start after EC announces schedule
  • Revision aims to address illegal immigration and duplicate entries
  • Shillong by-election preparations also in place after MP Ricky AJ Syngkon's demise
2 min read

Meghalaya prepared for Special Intensive Revision: CEO

Meghalaya CEO BDR Tiwari confirms readiness for Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and Shillong by-election, awaiting EC schedule.

"The department is ready to conduct the Special Intensive Revision in Meghalaya. We are awaiting the schedule from the Election Commission - BDR Tiwari"

Shillong, May 12

Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari on Tuesday said that the Election Department is fully prepared to conduct the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state and is awaiting the schedule from the Election Commission of India.

Speaking to reporters in Shillong, Tiwari said the process would begin as soon as the Commission announces the official schedule for the exercise.

"The department is ready to conduct the Special Intensive Revision in Meghalaya. We are awaiting the schedule from the Election Commission, and the process will start as and when the schedule is announced," he said.

The Chief Electoral Officer assured that the revision exercise would be carried out transparently, in strict compliance with all guidelines laid down by the Election Commission.

The Election Commission is expected to launch the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision exercise in the coming days.

Officials said Phase III would cover the remaining 22 states and Union Territories, including Meghalaya, and is expected to involve nearly 40 crore electors across the country who were not covered in the earlier phases.

The rollout of the exercise in several states, including Meghalaya, had reportedly been deferred due to the recently concluded Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.

Officials said the revision process assumes significance in Meghalaya due to concerns raised over the years about illegal immigration, duplicate voter entries, and the inclusion of non-genuine voters in electoral rolls.

Meghalaya shares a long and porous international border with Bangladesh, and several tribal organisations and political parties have repeatedly demanded stricter scrutiny of voter lists.

Meanwhile, Tiwari also stated that the state Election Department is prepared to conduct the Shillong Parliamentary by-election and is awaiting the Commission's announcement of the poll schedule.

The by-election is necessitated following the demise of Shillong Member of Parliament Ricky AJ Syngkon a couple of months ago.

As per constitutional provisions, the bypoll must be held within 6 months of the date of the vacancy.

Tiwari said all necessary preparations are in place for the smooth conduct of the election once directions are received from the Election Commission.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Finally, some action on voter list clean-up! Tribal organizations have been raising this issue for ages. Duplicate entries and non-genuine voters undermine democracy. Hope the Election Commission gives the schedule soon and the state does a proper job. Shillong by-election also needs to happen quickly—Ricky Syngkon's seat should be filled without delay.
V
Vikram M
CEO BDR Tiwari seems confident, but I hope the revision doesn't get delayed like before. Deferring due to assembly elections is understandable, but now they need to prioritize. Meghalaya's electoral rolls have been messy for too long—let's see if this phase delivers real results. Also, bypolls within 6 months is a constitutional duty, so no excuses.
S
Sarah B
As someone from outside the region, I find this interesting. The focus on illegal immigration in Meghalaya reflects larger border security issues in India. A clean voter list is foundational for fair elections. Hope the Commission doesn't drag its feet on announcing the schedule—40 crore electors is a massive task!
R
Rohit P
Transparent revision is key! But I'm a bit skeptical—similar promises were made before, yet issues persist. Meghalaya's tribal communities deserve to have their concerns heard. Let's hope the Election Department walks the talk this time. Also, RIP Ricky Syngkon—his bypoll should be conducted smoothly.
K
Kavya N
The porous border with Bangladesh is a double-edged sword—economic ties vs. security fears. Voter list revision must be fair and not target genuine citizens. But yes, duplicate entries need to go. The by-election in Shillong is also important

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50