Three Assembly constituencies in the national Capital — which fell vacant after their MlAs resigned following their victories in the recently-held lok Sabha elections — will go to polls again on November 25. While announcing the bypolls for Delhi, the Election Commission also stated that in case the Delhi Assembly is dissolved after the Supreme Court’s verdict, the bypolls shall be withdrawn. However, the results of the three seats — Krishna Nagar, Tughlaqabad and Mehrauli — will be out by December 23.
Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in the Capital with immediate effect as bypolls to the three Assembly seats will be held on November 25, along with the first phase of Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand. The three seats of the 70-member Delhi Assembly fell vacant in May after sitting BJP legislators Harsh Vardhan, Pravesh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri were elected to the lok Sabha.
“For Delhi, we have come at the end of the road. We were awaiting developments in the Supreme Court. Now is the time (for bypolls in Delhi),” said Sampath. November 28 is the deadline for the poll body to hold bypolls in Delhi after the seats fell vacant.
Election Commissioner HS Brahma later told the reporters that in case the SC or the Delhi lieutenant Governor decides to dissolve the Delhi Assembly, the EC notification regarding the bypolls would be withdrawn. The notification for the bypolls will be issued on October 28, kick-starting the process of filing nominations. The last date to register nominations is November 5, while the scrutiny will take place on November 7. The last date of withdrawing names from the electoral battle has been fixed for November 10.
While polling will take place on November 25, counting will be conducted on December 23, along with those for Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand. The poll process in Delhi has to be completed by December 29.
The Delhi Assembly election results threw up a ‘hung Assembly’ as both the major parties, the BJP with its 32-seat haul and the AAP with its 28 seats fell short of the majority figure of 35 seats. President’s Rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17 after the AAP Government quit office on February 14.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Election Commission later said the electoral rolls of the three 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 National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCR).
The Commission also added that the Electoral Photo Identify Card will be the main document of identification of a voter. However, 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 voter at the time of bypolls.