Punjab Polls Postponed To February 20: Election Commission

Assembly Polls shifted from 14 Feb to 20 Feb!

Chandigarh: After the discussion of the Election Commission regarding postponing the Punjab Polls, the EC declared that the Assembly elections in Punjab will be held on February 20. The date has been changed from February 14 after political parties requested the Election Commission to factor in Guru Ravidas Jayanti celebrations.

Recently, in a letter to Election Commission, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had suggested the assembly polls should be deferred by at least six days after representatives of the Scheduled Castes community.

It comprises 32 per cent of Punjab's population, told him that a large number of people from the community would visit Varanasi 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.

He also added, "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. "They have requested that the voting date may be extended in such a way that they can visit Banaras from February 10 to February 16 as also participate in the assembly elections."

After the EC held a meeting yesterday, it said several political parties, the Punjab government and other organisations have sought the polls to be deferred."

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 14 February 2022 will deprive a large number of electors of voting," the Election Commission said.

"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 the commission has decided to reschedule the elections," it said.