SHILLONG, Jan 10 � Elections to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly are likely to be held on February 20 and the poll processes would be completed by March, including those of Tripura and Nagaland, officials said here today.
The officials from the Election department said the Election Commission (EC) is likely to complete the poll processes in these three States before March to enable a full Budget session in the new Assemblies.
The ECwould announce the election dates for the three States tomorrow evening or latest by Monday, the officials said. �The Meghalaya polls are likely to be held on February 20 and the poll processes in all the three States would be completed by March to enable a full Budget session,� the official said.
After the announcement of dates, a maximum of fifteen days would be allotted for filing of nominations, scrutiny and withdrawal. Thirteen days would be earmarked for campaign. In all, a maximum of 45 days would be allotted for the poll process to be completed after the announcement of dates.
All the three States have strengths of 60 Assembly seats. Therefore there would be single phase elections for these States, the officials stated.
Meghalaya has been a predominantly Congress-ruled State. Just once after its statehood in the early 1970s Meghalaya had a single party Government, all through afterwards it was mostly a Congress-ruled Atate assisted by regional parties as allies.
However, factionalism within the Congress this time has made its prospects in the upcoming elections uncertain, although Chief Minister Mukul Sangma of the Congress party has been reiterating that it would get an absolute majority.
Veteran politician and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Sangma would spearhead the election campaign this time under a new party called the National Peoples� Party after quitting the Nationalist Congress Party together with other party colleagues. Sangma would take on the Congress in his traditional Garo Hills districts stronghold.
Other regional parties like the United Democratic Party, Hill State People Democratic Party and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement and others would fight it out with the Congress mainly in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.
