The Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule for the 60-member Meghalaya assembly on Wednesday. Polling in the state will be held in single phase on February 27, while the result will be declared on March 2. The term of the Meghalaya assembly ends on March 15, 2023.
With the announcement of assembly election in Meghalaya, the model code of coduct comes into immediate effect in the state.
The three northeastern states, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura will be the first ones to go to the polls this year.
Assembly elections are also to be held in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana later this year.
National People’s Party (NPP), which got recognition as the national party in 2019, leads the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) in Meghalaya. The ruling National People’s Party last week declared candidates for 58 seats for the upcoming polls to the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Chief Minister and party supremo Conrad Sangma will contest from the South Tura seat of Garo Hills. He is the sitting MLA from this seat. There are six women candidates too. Other candidates include a few defectors from other parties.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will be fighting the elections from South Tura in West Garo Hills district, while his deputy Prestone Tynsong will contest from Pynursla in East Khasi Hills district.
The Trinamool Congress has already declared 52 candidates for the assembly election in the state. TMCs strength in the 60-member Assembly has come down to nine after threes of its MLAs left the party, reported news agency IANS. However, the TMC leaders claim that thousands of NPP and other party supporters, including some leaders have joined their party.
The NPP won 19 seats in the last elections and formed the MDA with the HSDP, UDP, PDF and BJP taking away the chance to Congress for another term in the state.
Its main contender in the state is the former CM Mukul Sangma-led TMC. Sangma along with 11 other MLAs of the Congress switched sides to join the TMC last year, making it the main opposition party in the state.
Congress became the single-largest party after the 2018 elections, in which it won 21 seats.
After the historic win in Gujarat, the BJP is gearing up to stake claim to win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Along with this, the party has also begun preparations for the Assembly elections to be held in 2023.
The ruling BJP has already started its mega strategy-building exercise starting with PM Modi’s roadshow and the National Executive meeting ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress, too, is solidifying its presence with the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Key regional players and other opposition parties are also gearing up for the fight seen as the semi-final to the upcoming big one in 2024.
Ahead of assembly polls in the northeastern states, the Election Commission was to visit Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland this week to review poll preparedness. The Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel has visited three states from January 11, the EC said, according to news agency PTI.