Due to a huge surge in transmission of coronavirus infections and deteriorating flood situation in several States, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday announced the deferment of by-polls to one Parliamentary constituency and seven Assembly seats that were scheduled to be held by September 7. Bye-elections are due in 56 Assembly constituencies and one parliamentary seat. The remaining 49 bypolls are due after September 7.
The seats where the bypolls have been put on hold till September 7 are Valmiki Nagar in Bihar, Sibsagar in Assam, Thiruvottiyur and Gudiyattam in Tamil Nadu, Agar in Madhya Pradesh, Bulandshahr and Tundla in Uttar Pradesh and Chavara in Kerala. The EC has clarified that in any case, the deferring of eight by polls is only up to September 7, 2020. Seven of the bypolls had been necessitated by the deaths of the sitting legislators, while in Tundla constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the MLA was elected to Parliament.
As per the electoral law, EC has to hold bye-elections within 180 days (six months) of a seat falling vacant, another official pointed out. The six-month deadline to hold by-elections in these eight seats was ending on different dates in July, August and September respectively. When the EC assessed the situation, it found that it is difficult to adhere to the six-month deadline in these seats, and approached the Union law ministry to defer the polls, EC officials said.
The EC said that the Commission has already taken a decision to hold all bye-elections as per provisions of Section 151A of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
The Commission will be taking up for discussion the matter of timing of the bypolls at its meeting to be held on Friday.
Sources said that flood situation in Assam has deteriorated due to incessant rainfall. Over 56.22 lakh population in over 6,000 villages have been affected in the state. Similarly, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh where the bypolls were due, witnessed huge surge in the coronavirus infections, making it difficult for authorities to engage poll duties and conduct of election precedures.
The continuing coronavirus situation has cast a shadow on the upcoming Assembly polls in Bihar, widely considered the most important electoral event in the country this year.
Political parties had been calling for deferment of the polls in Bihar as many of the opposition leaders in the state have said that having elections during the outbreak will put the lives of people at risk. NDA ally Chirag Paswan also in favour of deferring the assembly polls in the state due to coronavirus infections that will be on peak during elections in November-December.
Apart from these seats, 24 seats in Madhya Pradesh are up for by-elections due to Scindia’s rebellion. As per Section 151-A of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951, ECI will conduct by-polls to 22 seats by September 10.