Meghalaya ready for Lok Sabha polls

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 15: State’s chief electoral officer (CEO) BDR Tiwari on Friday said that Meghalaya is ready for the general elections to the Lok Sabha.

The state has two parliamentary seats – Shillong and Tura.

“All necessary preparations in respect to the logistics, manpower, training and all other requisite arrangements have already been taken up as per guidance and instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Meghalaya is ready for a very peaceful and more participatory Lok Sabha elections 2024,” Tiwari told reporters.

He informed that his office has done a lot of IEC activities and the SVEEP activities are also ongoing. “Now, we are more focusing on the polling station wise and we have also worked out an implementation plan and accordingly we are engaging the local institutions and all stakeholders including stakeholders, public, students,” he said.

Stating that the electoral literacy clubs are being activated, Tiwari said, “We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the education department to focus more on the youth.”

“Traditional methods like village announcement systems, involvement of dorbars (are being taken up) so that people can come forward to cast their votes,” he said while adding the state is hopeful that the voting percentage this time will increase when compared to the 2019 elections.

There are over 22.70 lakh voters in Meghalaya.

On the law-and-order aspect, the CEO said that state machinery is fully geared up to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.

“We are doing all necessary arrangements in respect to law and order. It is already taken from the police side and we are in touch with all district authorities and even with the bordering districts also.

Arrangement for the expenditure monitoring and all those things to make the election inducement free and to keep the law and order situation totally in control,” he said.

“And to conduct the peaceful election, the state machinery is fully geared up and we are focusing on the better arrangement of assured minimum facilities so that voters will get facilitated and they can cast their votes in a happy and healthy environment,” he added further.

State Reservation Policy: Blunder of 50 yrs cannot be solved in days

United Democratic Party leader and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh today said a solution to a blunder committed in regard to the state reservation policy for the past 50 years cannot come in a matter of five days.

“It is also a fact that a blunder was committed 50 years ago so how do you resolve that? It is more difficult because it is an issue that has been festering for half a century so a solution will not come in five days. A blunder that has been perpetuated for 50 years cannot be resolved in five days in five weeks or even five months but let it be resolved bit by bit,” Lyngdoh told reporters.

The West Shillong legislator said, “Why are you saying that it is not a blunder. There are a lot of errors in the entire policy. For instance, giving space of two-three years for a post to be filled up means you are undermining, and compromising the quality of the administration. Now if an office has to have 12 staff members and because you have to wait for two years it means that the office is running short of staff for 2-3 years – that itself is a blunder.”

Admitting the danger if the reservation policy is being challenged, he said, “It is (dangerous) as there are a lot of intricacies involved,” while cautioning everyone that “we should not end up shooting ourselves in our leg, let us not inflict self-wounds.”

On the implementation of the roster system, Lyngdoh, who is also a spokesperson of the MDA government, informed that the MDA is going to meet at the end of this week or early next week to discuss this matter.

“The matter is also coming up before the cabinet and an All-party meet is also being called. So at these different platforms, we will get an exchange of views and I am sure the best of views will come forward,” he asserted.

Referring to the concerns expressed if the roster system is implemented retrospectively, Lyngdoh said, “That is a very valid concern so accordingly I will put my views across in the Cabinet that if at all it has to be done it can be done only prospectively one, two you can take the matter up to the Supreme Court, three, the State Assembly has the option of legislation – so which of these options or which combination of these options will work best that is entirely up to the House and the Cabinet to decide.”

“Therefore, let it come up before the cabinet. Let a cabinet memo be prepared. I will study the memo and articulate my point of view in the cabinet but first let the cabinet memo be put up,” he stated.

On the other hand, Lyngdoh reminded that the UDP had in fact listed as number one on its manifesto a change of the reservation policy and said, “We fielded 46 candidates and only 11 of us won. Even if you only think of the Khasi-Jaintia sector, we won 11 out of 36, minus the 10 we fielded in the Garo Hills, so it means that the majority of the constituencies are not interested in any change of the reservation policy.”

He said it also means that 25 constituencies did not favour a change of the reservation policy adding “Even if you combine UDP 11 plus VPP 4 that will still make it 15 and 15 out of 36 is still not a majority.”

Mawrie eyes Lok Sabha seat

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 4: BJP state President Ernest Mawrie has stated that he is ready to be the candidate of the party from the Shillong parliamentary seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

“As president of the party, if the party decides, I am ready to be the candidate of the party for the Lok Sabha election from the Shillong seat. I will not deny the decision of the party,” Mawrie told reporters today.

He however informed that the party is yet to discuss the candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state while reacting to reports that top leaders including M Kharkrang and HM Shangpliang are vying for the party ticket for the election.

The party has formed the Lok Sabha Prabhas and it will be headed by the state general secretary GC Nongbet as convener and there will be three co-conveners.

“Our main intention is to strengthen the party. The Lok Sabha Prabhas will go to each and every constituency to strengthen the organization,” he said.

Mawrie said it is too early now to identify the candidates since the party has one year to prepare adding “But we will look for winnable candidates as we are serious to win in both the seats – Shillong and Tura.”