Ahead of the upcoming Biennial Elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) 2026, Chief Electoral Officer of Meghalaya, Dr. B.D.R. Tiwari, IAS, on Friday convened a high-level meeting with representatives of various political parties at the Conference Hall of the Main Secretariat Building in Shillong. The meeting focused on sensitising political parties about statutory requirements, voting procedures, and the detailed election schedule to ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process. During the interaction, Dr. Tiwari stressed the mandatory publicity of criminal antecedents by both candidates and political parties, in strict compliance with directives issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and the Election Commission of India.
Officials also briefed party representatives on the system of proportional representation through a single transferable vote and the procedure for open voting under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. To maintain voting integrity, it was clarified that MLAs belonging to political parties are permitted to show their marked ballot papers only to the authorized agent of their respective political party. Displaying the ballot paper to any other party agent is strictly prohibited. Independent MLAs, meanwhile, are not allowed to show their ballot papers to any agent.
The meeting further included detailed presentations on the method of recording preferences, validity of ballot papers, counting procedures, and the process for determining the required quota. The Chief Electoral Officer also announced the official schedule for the Rajya Sabha elections in Meghalaya. The notification for the election will be issued on June 1, while the last date for filing nominations is June 8. Polling is scheduled to take place on June 18 from 9 AM to 4 PM, followed by counting of votes at 5 PM the same day. The election process is expected to conclude by June 20. Political parties were also informed about the mandatory documents required for filing nominations, including Form 2C, Form 26 affidavits, Forms AA and BB for party-sponsored candidates, security deposits, oath or affirmation, and compliance with Forms C1 to C8.