SHILLONG, Oct 16: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced November 13 for holding the bye-election for the Gambegre Assembly constituency in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, chief electoral officer BDR Tiwari said on Tuesday.
The bye-election was necessitated following the resignation of Saleng A Sangma from the opposition Congress after he was elected as a Member of Parliament from Tura constituency earlier this year.
The notification for the Gambegre bye-election will be issued on October 18 while the last date for filing of the nominations will be on October 25, and scrutiny of nomination papers on October 28, the CEO said.
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The last date of withdrawal of nominations will be on October 30 and the bye-election will be held on November 13, he said, adding that the results will be declared on November 23.
“The election machinery is fully prepared for the conduct of free, fair and smooth elections,” Tiwari said.
The election commission also said that the model code of conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district in which the whole or any part of the Assembly constituency is going for bye-election.
It will also be applicable to all candidates, political parties and the state government concerned.
“The model code of conduct will be applicable in the concerned district, where the Assembly constituency falls in the West Garo Hills,” the CEO said.
Meanwhile, the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has announced its decision to field chief minister Conrad K Sangma’s wife Mehtab Chandee Sangma while opposition TMC is fielding lone woman GHADC member from Dengnakpara Sadhiarani M Sangma, who is also the wife of former Rangsakona legislator Zenith M Sangma.
However, the opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are yet to announce their candidates.
On Monday, NPP leader and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the party was preparing itself adequately for the upcoming bye-election. She had also expressed confidence that the NPP will fight to win the Gambegre seat.
The constituency has a total of 32, 254 voters including 16,331 males and 15,923 females, 3 service voters, 64 senior citizens, and 100 persons with disabilities (PwDs).
Of 51 polling stations, 31 are identified as critical polling stations. There are no vulnerable polling stations under the constituency. (NNN)
