By-elections to the two vacant Assembly constituencies of Mawryngkneng and Rajabala which were delayed by the current Covid-19 pandemic may be held after the end of the festival season this year.
Mawryngkneng seat fell vacant after the death of Congress MLA David Nongrum on February 2 this year.
Nongrum is a two-time MLA from the constituency and also the son of former Speaker Charles Pyngrope.
Moreover, the Rajabala Assembly seat fell vacant after Congress MLA from the constituency Dr. Azad Zaman died on March 4.
However, the Covid-19 situation in Meghalaya has prevented holding of early by-polls to the two constituencies.
Normally, by-elections are held within six month that the Assembly seat falls vacant.
The Election Commission on September 1 held a meeting through video conferencing on September 1 with Chief Secretaries, senior officers from the departments of health, home, DGPs from Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Adviser of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
The meeting was to assess the feasibility of holding by-elections in these states and union territories.
The Chief Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers shared their inputs, constraints, issues and challenges in conducting by-elections in their states and union territories in view of Covid-l9 pandemic, flood situation and festivals in near future and so on.
The Chief Secretaries from the concerned poll going states have also sent their views and inputs in writing.
They also brought to the notice of the Election Commission the constraints related to flood situations, festivals and pandemic. They suggested that it would be advisable to have by-elections after the end of festival season.
After taking into consideration the inputs and views of the Chief Secretaries of the concerned states and respective Chief Electoral Officers, the Election Commission has decided to delay holding of by-elections in these eleven states and union territories.
