Punjab elections postponed till Feb 20 for festival

THE Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday (17) decided to postpone the voting date for the northern state of Punjab to February 20. The original date for the election was February 14.

The ECI’s move came after several political parties, including the ruling Indian National Congress, prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress requested it to postpone the exercise.

Sources said the request to defer the election was made as many people from the Scheduled Castes community in the state were likely to visit Varanasi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in view of the birth anniversary of religious leader Guru Ravidas on February 16.

The poll panel said the last date for filing the nomination for the candidates is on February 1, while the candidates can withdraw their nominations till February 2.

Four other states other than Punjab are also going to the polls starting February 10 and they are UP, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. UP will go to a seven-phase election while Manipur will see a two-phased one.

The results will be announced on March 10.

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu welcomed the ECI’s decision to postpone the elections.

In a press conference in his hometown Amritsar, the cricketer-turned-politician said, “We welcome the ECI's decision to postpone the Punjab Assembly elections.”

Captain Singh also lauded the election panel, tweeting, “Welcome @ECISVEEP decision of postponing the Punjab elections to February 20 in view of Sri Guru Ravidas Jayanti on February 16. This will facilitate devotees' pilgrimage to Kashi and they can vote after coming back.”

Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi also welcomed the decision. In a tweet, he said, “Sincerely thank @ECISVEEP for accepting my request & postponing the polls in Punjab for one week, in view of Sri Guru Ravidas Jayanti. Wrote letter to ECI on Jan 13, urging to reschedule the polls as large number of devotees will go to Varanasi to pay obeisance from Feb 10 to 16.”

Sukhbir Singh Badal, former chief minister of Punjab and chief of Shiromani Akali Dal, said in a tweet, “We welcome the decision to postpone the Punjab assembly elections to February 20 by @ECISVEEP. As Gurpurab of Sant Ravidas Ji falls on February 16, thousands of devotees travel outside Punjab to pay homage to the Guru.”