Shillong: The political landscape in Meghalaya is beginning to sharpen ahead of the forthcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election, with the Congress under Vincent H. Pala indicating that it is likely to finalise its candidate by May 15. While, according to sources, the ruling National People’s Party is likely to announce its candidate on May 7.
Amid intensifying organisational activity, the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee has initiated the final phase of consultations for the Shillong Parliamentary constituency by-election. An informal resolution adopted in a recent meeting of MPCC office-bearers and forwarded to the All India Congress Committee had proposed the name of former Member of Parliament from the Shillong seat Vincent H. Pala as the party’s candidate. However, party leaders have underlined that broader consultations across district and block units are underway to build consensus before the recommendation is formally placed before the central leadership for approval.
Meanwhile, Sources added, that the NPP, which leads the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, is expected to declare its candidate on May 7, while the Voice of the People’s Party has already fielded academician Batskhem Myrboh.
The alliance partner in MDA Government Bharatiya Janata Party has indicated that it has four to five aspirants in contention and will announce its nominee only after the by-election is formally notified. The United Democratic Party, an ally in the State government, continues internal deliberations over its choice of candidate.
Addressing media persons in Shillong, Pala said, “Within 15th of May, we should be able to finalize. I think we don’t have anybody, I have to contest but the formal meeting is yet be be held and last time we had a meeting a resolution was sent to Delhi that I should be contesting but we didn’t take the views of all the block and districts, so I think we will have another meeting after 10th of May then we will decide.”
He underscored that consultations within the party are ongoing and not restricted to a single name. “So there was one meeting where the MPCC office bearers have propose my name, and that has been sent to Delhi. However , I requested them to wait, because I have to discuss with my family and my friends. So, let’s have another round of meeting. So we will be having under around of the meeting, hopefully, we should be able to decide, but it doesn’t mean that I’m Only the one may be others also may express interest. So, let’s so let’s see. But majority of them, I think wanted me to contest.”
Clarifying the procedural framework, he added, “The name is not yet finalized because to decide a candidate we have to send from state to the central, and in the AICC there will be election authority for all over India. That will finalize the name. As of today we haven’t even sent the name formally. We have to send it in a proper format. Not only for Meghalaya but by election likely in many other states where the sitting MPs contested MLA elections. So some of the MPs who will win the MLA seats they will resign and in those seats also the bye elections will be held. So that’s why it’s not in finalize, is not been declared, that only that only a proposal which was done before.”
Pala also highlighted the party’s parallel focus on organisational consolidation across the State. “Even that proposal, I think we will sit again we will discuss and have Stretegy. And we will, revise will think we have to have a strategy. We are started organizing all the district presidents at the same time We are organizing at the block level now. So hopefully we have been for the last one month behind the job, we do have meetings everyday, we had a meeting in Mylliem at the block level. We had also in Ri Bhoi. So, we are now mainly concentrating in organizing the party at different levels, at the district level, block levels. So we are in full swing. At the block level we have organised all but maybe out of 36 blocks, one, two blocks we have to revamp, some of them them are gone So otherwise overall, we have all the block president and the districts as well.”
The by-election has been necessitated following the demise of sitting Member of Parliament Ricky A. J. Syngkon on February 19, 2026, less than two years after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in which the Voice of the People’s Party leader had defeated Pala by a significant margin.
Sources indicated that the NPP is exploring the candidature of Khasi Authors’ Society president and NEHU faculty member Prof. D.R.L. Nonglait, with senior party leaders, including state working president Hamletson Dohling, having recently reached out to him.
