Shillong July 21: Bye elections to fill up vacancies in two Assembly seats – Ranikor and South Tura constituency are likely to be held together with the vacant seats in Karnataka.

Sources said that there is likelihood that the Election Commission may announce the same schedule for the bypolls in Meghalaya and Karnataka.

In Meghalaya Ranikor and South Tura seats fell vacant after former Congress MLA, Martin M. Danggo and National People’s Party (NPP) MLA, Agatha Kongkal Sangma resigned from the post recently.

While Danggo resigned as member of the State Assembly after the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government decided to create the Ranikor Civil Sub Division, Agatha quit as member of the Assembly to pave way for her elder brother and Chief Minister, Conrad Kongkal Sangma to face the bye election from South Tura.

Conrad, who is still an MP of the Lok Sabha from Tura parliamentary constituency, has to become an MLA in order to continue as Chief Minister of the state.

Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) F.R. Kharkongor said that there is a possibility that the Election Commission may conduct the bye elections at the same time in Meghalaya and Karnataka.

“We are prepared to conduct the bypolls anytime, and we expect that the Commission would announce the schedule soon. We also expect that both Ranikor and South Tura will go to the bye elections together on the same date,” Kharkongor said.

In Karnataka, Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy resigned as MLA of Ramanagaram Assembly constituency after he also won as MLA of Channapatna Assembly constituency.

Besides, Ramanagaram Assembly seat, two BJP MPs in Karnataka – BS Yeddyurappa bad B Sreeramulu have resigned as MPs after they were elected as MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly elections held on May 12 this year.