The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday postponed polling for the Punjab Assembly elections from February 14 to 20 after the State government and political parties raised concern that many devotees will be in Varanasi to celebrate Guru Ravidas’s birth anniversary on February 16 and miss out on voting.
Representations to the ECI said many devotees start going to Varanasi a week before the celebrations, and holding polling on February 14 would deprive them of the chance to vote. In a press statement, the ECI said it had decided to reschedule the poll. Counting would continue to be on March 10, which was in the poll schedule announced on January 8.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had written to the ECI asking for the poll date to be moved, as a large number of the Scheduled Caste community would go to Varanasi to observe Guru Ravidas Jayanti. The Punjab unit of the BJP too had raised the issue.
The ECI said in the statement that it had “received several representations from State Government, political parties and other organisations drawing attention regarding movement of a large number of devotees from Punjab to Varanasi for participation in Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Jayanti celebrations”.
The Commission said it was informed that “a large number of devotees start moving for Varanasi around a week before the day of celebration and keeping the poll day on February 14, 2022 will deprive large number of electors from voting”.
Taking inputs from the government and the Chief Electoral Officer, the ECI announced a new schedule. Nominations are to be filed from January 25 to February 1, their scrutiny would take place on February 2, the last date of their withdrawal would be February 4 and polling on February 20.
