Meghalaya parties urged EC for simultaneous by-poll in 2 seats

Key political parties in Meghalaya today urged the Election Commission to consider holding simultaneous by-elections in two assembly seats in the state following the EC's announcement of by-poll to only one seat.

By-election will be held in South Tura seat on August 23 and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is a Lok Sabha MP, will seek election from the seat.

His sister Agatha K Sangma of National Peoples Party (NPP) and Martin M Danggo of Congress had resigned from South Tura and Ranikor seats respectively. Danggo had resigned from the Congress too.

Danggo had resigned on June 21 while Agatha put down her papers on July 2. No date for by-election to Ranikor seat was announced by the EC yet.

United Democratic Party, which is a part of the NPP-led ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance and the opposition Congress said that two different dates for the two seats will defeat the spirit of free and fair elections.

In separate letters to the EC they demanded that the by-election to both the seats should be held simultaneously so that it is "fair" and to avoid "undue political influences and manipulations".

"The Election Commission of India should consider holding of election to fill both the casual vacancies simultaneously. Two different schedules will defeat the spirit of fair and free elections," Meghalaya PCC general secretary Waibha K Kyndiah said in the letter.

He said that the decision to hold elections to only seat, in which the Chief Minister is seeking election to the state assembly will provide undue advantage to the ruling party.

UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said the "failure" of the EC to notify by-election to Ranikor "leaves room to cast aspersions" as the seat fell vacant much earlier than the South Tura constituency.

Earlier in the day, Danggo officially joined NPP along with his supporters at the NPP office here.

Danggo said his joining the party was an "obligation" as the chief minister had granted civil sub-division to Ranikor in a span of 45 days of the matter being raised with him.