Meghalaya Tightens Election Oversight After Distribution Scandal

Shillong: East Khasi Hills officials are cracking down on electoral roll updates. This comes after a Booth Level Officer dropped off enumeration forms at a former lawmaker’s house in Shillong. It looks bad. District Election Officer Abhilash Baranwal ordered an immediate cleanup of the mess.

The officer had to grab back every form handed out between June 30 and July 2. Now, supervisors must personally manage the distribution. The Assistant Electoral Registration Officer will hit the streets daily to watch the work until it wraps up.

Baranwal told political parties that 63,731 forms went out across 15 constituencies by the evening of July 2. He stood firm against claims that ineligible voters were getting on the rolls. He said the project relies on legacy records from 2005. "The Special Intensive Revision is meant to enumerate existing electors based on the 2025 electoral roll and the legacy roll of 2005, and not to enrol new voters," Baranwal said.

Two national parties and one state party already turned in their agent forms. The administration now wants help from local Dorbar Shnongs. They need these traditional groups to keep the process honest.