Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Friday, i.e., August 16, announced that the bypoll in Kerala's Wayanad cannot be held right now due to the recent landslides which claimed over 230 lives.
"Bypoll in Wayanad parliamentary seat cannot be held right now due to natural disaster there, polling will happen on time", said CEC Rajiv Kumar, while announcing the schedule for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls.
The bypoll in Wayanad was necessiated after Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi decided to retain Raebareli, dropping Wayanad, post the Lok Sabha polls 2024. The Congress, meanwhile, announced Priyanka Gandhi as its candidate from Wayanad, a stronghold of her brother Rahul Gandhi.
The recent landslides in Wayanad, triggered by heavy downpour, is seen as the 'worst disaster' in Kerala after 2018 floods. According to the Wayanad district administration, over 130 people are still missing as of August 13. Following the incident, the authorities including the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, Forest and Wildlife authorities, and the police, launched a massive rescue and search operation to find possible survivors, after which, several stranded people were rescued.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the disaster-hit constituency on August 10.
Meanwhile, the elections to the 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana will be held in a single phase on October 1 and the counting of votes will take place on October 4, CEC Rajiv Kumar announced.
Moreover, the assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases from September 18.
Notably, a poll body delegation led by the Chief Election Commissioner reviewed the poll preparations in Haryana recently.
The term of the current government in Haryana will end on November 3, this year following which the elections will take in 90 legislative assembly constituencies in the state.
