The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a press release on Friday stating that all 65 bye-elections due in various states and the Bihar assembly elections will be held around the same time.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a press release on Friday stating that all 65 bye-elections due in various states and the Bihar assembly elections will be held around the same time.
The ECI reviewed the reports and inputs from Chief Secretaries/ Chief Electoral Officers of the concerned states, seeking deferment of the bye-elections in view of several factors including heavy rains in some places and other constraints like the COVID-19 crisis.
"Considering that General Assembly Elections of Bihar is also due and required to be completed before November 29, 2020, Commission has decided to conduct all the 65 bye-elections and the General Assembly Elections of Bihar around the same time," the release read.
Holding the elections around the same time would mean relative ease of movement of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other forces responsible for maintaining law and order during elections.
"Announcement of the schedule of Bihar General Assembly Elections as well as these bye-elections will be done by the Commission at an appropriate time," the press release read.
The Supreme Court on August 28 had declined to entertain a petition seeking postponement of the Bihar Assembly elections till the state is free from the COVID-19 pandemic and had said COVID-19 cannot be a ground for deferring the polls.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan had said that COVID-19 cannot be a ground for postponement of elections, and the court cannot tell Election Commission, what should be done on this issue.
The petitioner had insisted that the Representation of People Act says that elections can be deferred in the backdrop of extraordinary situations. It insisted that human life is paramount and not the elections, as people are suffering due to the coronavirus infection.
In the reply, the bench maintained that it is for the EC to decide and not for the top court.
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