Election Commission decides not to announce by-polls in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu after receiving inputs from chief secretaries and electoral officers
According to the commission, chief secretaries and chief electoral officers from these four states have expressed to the EC about difficulties in conduct of elections and issues related to it.
The Election Commission on Tuesday decided not to announce by-polls in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu after receiving inputs from chief secretaries and electoral officers.
According to the commission, chief secretaries and chief electoral officers from these four states have expressed to the EC about difficulties in conduct of elections and issues related to it.
The polls were to be held in Assam’s Rangapara and Sibsagar, Kerala’s Kuttanad and Chavara, Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvottiyur and Gudiyattam, and West Bengal’s Falakata.
“The Commission has decided not to announce the conduct of elections at this stage in the above seven vacancies in legislative assemblies of the state of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.” EC’s statement said.
As for vacancies in other states, the statement stated that “the commission will decide after taking necessary inputs from the states concerned”.
People familiar with the matter had earlier told Hindustan Times that it does not make sense to hold the elections in Kerala, where there are only two vacancies, as the assembly in the state is due to be re-elected before June 2021.
One assembly seat each in Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka and West Bengal; five assembly seats in Manipur and eight each in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are also vacant.
In July, the EC had deferred the by-elections to one Lok Sabha and seven assembly seats beyond the six month period due to the onset of monsoon and possibilities of floods and the Covid-19 pandemic.
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