Shillong: The United Democratic Party and the Voice of the People Party skipped a briefing on Friday regarding the upcoming Rajya Sabha election in Meghalaya. Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari hosted the session to detail procedures for the June 18 vote, which will determine the successor to current member Dr. Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, whose term ends on June 21.
While representatives from the NPP, BJP, and HSPDP attended the meeting, the absence of two major regional players highlights ongoing uncertainty within the local political coalition. Tiwari noted that the missing parties cited prior engagements for their non-attendance.
The National People’s Party has not yet selected its candidate for the seat, with officials stating that a decision remains subject to internal review. Meanwhile, the UDP has confirmed it has not determined whether it will field a candidate or support another party. The HSPDP is also still weighing its position and expects to reach a decision within the coming week.
Election officials used the briefing to outline the open ballot process, noting that party members must show their marked ballots to authorized agents. Independent legislators are explicitly prohibited from this practice. The session also underscored the necessity of disclosing any criminal history of candidates in accordance with Supreme Court mandates.
The formal election process begins with a notification on June 1, followed by a nomination deadline of June 8. After a scrutiny period on June 9 and a withdrawal deadline on June 11, voting will take place on June 18 from 9 am to 4 pm. Results are expected later that evening.
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