Punjab Assembly polls postpone to February 20
Considering the request of all political parties and leaders , the Election Commission of India decided to postpone Punjab Assembly elections to February 20 instead of February 14.
Chandigarh: Considering the request of all political parties seeking to postpone the Punjab Assembly polls, the Election Commission of India has postponed the elections to February 20 instead of February 14.
The Election Commission of India issued a statement postponing the Punjab Assembly elections in view of the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas.
“ After considering facts emerging out of representations, inputs from state government and CEO, past precedence and all circumstances in the matter, ECI has decided to reschedule the General elections to Legislative Assembly of Punjab on 20th February 2022”, ECI stated.
Commission has received several representations from the State Government, Political Parties and other organizations drawing attention regarding the movement of a large number of devotees from Punjab to Varanasi for participation in Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Jayanti celebrations, which is observed on 16th February 2022. They have also brought to the notice that a large number of devotees start moving for Varanasi around a week before the day of celebration and keeping the poll day on 14th February 2022 will deprive a large number of electors from voting. In view of this, they have requested to shift the poll date few days after 16th February 2022. Commission has also taken inputs from State Government and Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab in this regard.
After considering these new facts emerging out of these representations, inputs from the State Government and Chief Electoral Officer, past precedence and all facts and circumstances in the matter, now Commission has decided to reschedule the General Elections to Legislative Assembly of Punjab in the following manner:
The date of notification: 25th January 2022 (Tuesday), Last date of nomination: 1st February 2022 (Tuesday), Date of scrutiny: 2nd February 2022 (Wednesday), Date of withdrawal: 4th February 2022 (Friday), Date of poll: 20th February 2022 (Sunday) and Counting of Votes will be taken up on 10th March 2022 (Thursday)
Earlier Election was scheduled on February 14 at single-phase along with Goa and Uttarakhand.
The political parties including Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Lok Congress chief, Captain Amarinder Singh, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiromani Akalidal and others requested the ECI to postpone the polls to enable the devotees to take part o the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas on February 16.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in a letter to the Election Commission requested poll panel to postpone February 14 Assembly polls by at least six days factoring in Guru Ravidas Jayanti.
In the letter, Mr. Channi stated that representatives of the Scheduled Castes community, which comprises 32 percent of Punjab's population, have submitted a memorandum to him that a large number of people from the community would "visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16" and so may not be able to vote. The birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas is on February 16.
"In such a situation, many people from this community would not be able to cast their votes for the state assembly, which is otherwise their constitutional right," Mr Channi said in the letter on January 13.
Community people have requested that the voting date may be extended for at least six days from February 14, enabling the voters to cast their votes after attending Guru Ravidas Jayanti, Mr. Channi requested in the letter.
Punjab BJP General Secretary Subhash Sharma said, "The state has a substantial population of followers of Guru Ravidas ji, including the Scheduled Castes (SC) community which is about 32 percent of the population of Punjab. On this pious occasion, millions of devotees would visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh to celebrate the gurparb. So it would not be possible for them to participate in the voting process..."
Punjab Aam Aadmi Party chief Bhagwant Mann tweeted his party's request to the Election Commission to defer the election by a week.
