In a bid to fill the three seats including Doiwala, Someshwar and Dharchula of Uttarakhand assembly, Election Commission of India has issued notification for bypoll on Wednesday in which two seats i.e. Doiwala and Someshwar were vacated by Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Ajay Tamta after becoming member of lok Sabha in recently concluded general eleciton-2014. Dharchula was vacated by Congress MlA Harish Dhami to facilitate the CM Harish Rawat to become a member of Uttarkhand Vidhan Sabha.
As per the notification polling would happen on July 21 and counting on July 25. This was disclosed by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Uttarakhand Radha Raturi while talking to the media person in Dehradun. As per the constitution any person can be appoitned as CM of the State but the person will have to become member of the concerned Assembly in next six months since appointment as CM of the State. In this perspective Rawat, who took charge as CM on February 1, 2014, will have to become member of Uttarakhand Assembly by July 31. With this notification Rawat must have taken sigh of relief because he was busy in finalising the seat to contest the Assembly bypoll.
With this notificaiton Model Code of Conduct came into force in three districts i.e. Dehradun, Pithoragarh and Almora with immediate effect. As per the schedule, election notification for three assembly bypoll would be issued on June 27. Nomination for these by poll till July 4, scrutiny of nomination paper by July 5, withdrawal of nomination paper by July 7, polling on July 21 and result would be declared on July 25.
The electoral rolls of these Assembly Constituencies have been revised with reference to January 1, 2014 as the qualifying date and have been finally published on January 31, 2014 in the State of Uttarakhand.
The Commission has decided to use EVMs in the by-elections in all the polling stations. Adequate number of EVMs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the polls are conducted smoothly with the help of these machines.
The Commission has decided that the voter's identification shall be mandatory in the aforementioned bye-elections at the time of poll. Photo Electoral Roll (PER) shall be the main document of identification of a voter. However, in order to ensure that no voter is deprived of his/her franchise, if his/her name figures in the Electoral Rolls, separate instructions will be issued to allow additional documents for identification of voters at the time of poll in the said by-election.
The Model Code of Conduct shall be applicable to all candidates, political parties and the State Government concerned. It shall also be applicable to the Union Government in respect of the above district(s) of the State concerned.