Shillong, November 05: Meghalaya has stepped up preparations for the upcoming Shillong Parliamentary by-election, with the Election Department undertaking arrangements for EVMs, polling personnel, security deployment and logistical requirements ahead of the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the poll schedule.
Following the publication of the final electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the state is preparing to move into election mode once the ECI announces the dates.
Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahammed on Thursday chaired a review meeting at the Main Secretariat to assess the status of Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs) at polling stations for the 1-Shillong (ST) Parliamentary Constituency.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr B.D.R. Tiwari said the state was ready to conduct the by-election as soon as the schedule was announced.
He said the first-level checking and commissioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been completed within the stipulated timeframe, while assessments of manpower, vehicles, election materials and security arrangements were also underway.
Tiwari stressed that all polling stations must have Assured Minimum Facilities, particularly universal network connectivity to ensure 100 per cent webcasting and effective election monitoring.
The Shillong Parliamentary constituency covers seven districts and has a total of 2,336 polling stations.
