Compared to the last Meghalaya Assembly elections in 2018, 78 more candidates are contesting the polls this time.
As none of the candidates in Meghalaya has withdrawn their nomination on the last date of withdrawal of nomination on Friday, 375 candidates including 37 women are in the fray for the February 27 Assembly polls.
In the 2018 polls, there were a total 297 candidates.
The ruling NPP has fielded candidates in 57 seats while the Congress and the BJP are contesting in all the 60 seats.
The Trinamool Congress has fielded candidates in 58 seats while the UDP is contesting the elections in 47 seats. The HSPDP is contesting in 11 seats and the PDF in six.
Two new political players, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) and KAM Meghalaya, have fielded 16 and three candidates, respectively.
The BJP, UDP and the HSPDP are the partners of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government led by NPP.
Of the total of 21,61,729 voters, the number of male voters in the State is 10,68,801 and that of female voters is 10,92,326.
For the past many years, women voters outnumbered their male counterparts in the electoral list.
Further, in the previous elections, the turnout of female electorates was higher than the male voters.
The Union Home Ministry has agreed to provide 120 companies of Central Armed Police Force for election duties in Meghalaya.
