Rajya Sabha poll in Meghalaya set for June 18 as incumbent's term expires
Shillong, May 29
Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer Dr B.D.R. Tiwari said on Friday that polling for the election to one Rajya Sabha seat from the state will be held on June 18, with vote counting scheduled later the same day.
The announcement was made after a meeting convened by the CEO with representatives of various political parties at the Main Secretariat Building in Shillong to brief them on the election process and statutory requirements.
According to the election schedule, the official notification for the Rajya Sabha election will be issued on June 1, while June 8 has been fixed as the last date for filing nominations.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on June 9, and candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations till June 11.
Polling will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 18, followed by counting of votes at 5 p.m. the same day.
The entire election process is expected to be completed before June 20.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Dr Tiwari said political parties were given detailed presentations on the election schedule, nomination procedures, method of voting, counting process and legal compliances to be followed by candidates and parties.
Election officials informed party representatives about the mandatory submission of nomination papers, including Form 2C, affidavits in Form 26, security deposits, oath or affirmation requirements, and Forms AA and BB for party-sponsored candidates. Provisions related to Forms C1 to C8 were also explained during the session.
Special emphasis was laid on compliance with Supreme Court directives and Election Commission guidelines regarding the publication of criminal antecedents of candidates by both candidates and political parties.
Officials also explained the system of election through proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote and the open ballot voting procedure under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Political parties were informed that MLAs belonging to a political party must show their marked ballot paper only to the authorised agent of their own party, while Independent MLAs are prohibited from showing their ballot papers to any agent.
Representatives of political parties interacted with election officials and sought clarifications on various aspects of the election process.
The lone Rajya Sabha seat allotted to Meghalaya is set to fall vacant as the incumbent Member of Parliament, Dr Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, completes his six-year term in late June 2026.
In view of the impending vacancy, the Election Commission of India has scheduled the biennial election to the seat on June 18, 2026.
Dr Kharlukhi, who represents the ruling National People's Party (NPP), has reportedly expressed his desire to step away from active parliamentary politics after the completion of his tenure.
The NPP is expected to comfortably retain the seat, given its clear majority in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly
— IANS
Reader Comments
Important thing to note is the open ballot system and proportional representation. This ensures party discipline and reduces cross-voting. For a small state like Meghalaya, these procedural details matter a lot. Kudos to the Election Commission for the thorough briefing. 👏
It's good that the Supreme Court directives on criminal antecedents are being emphasized. Voters and parties should know who they are electing. But sadly, in reality, even criminals get elected if they have money and muscle power. Let's see how strict the scrutiny is this time.
Dr. Kharlukhi stepping away is interesting. At least he's not clinging to power like many others. NPP will retain it easily as mentioned, but I hope they send someone who genuinely cares about the state's issues - infrastructure, education, and job creation are badly needed in Meghalaya.
One thing I appreciate is the transparency in the process - issuing notification on June 1, scrutiny on June 9, withdrawal till June 11. The whole thing will be done by June 20. Compare this to the chaotic scenes we see in some state elections. Meghalaya model should be followed! 😊
The single transferable vote system for Rajya Sabha is quite unique. It ensures that minority parties can sometimes get representation if they manage their votes well. But with NPP having clear majority, it's a formality. Still, democracy functions better when these formalities are observed properly.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.