Assembly poll may be held in Feb, March

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23

If the preparations by the chief electoral office are any indication, the Assembly elections is likely to be held in February or March and the entire electoral process is expected to be completed by March 2017.

Though there is speculation in the political circles about early Assembly elections (November or December), the working of the chief electoral office seems to suggest that these will be held on time.

The office will carry the draft publication of electoral roll on October 1, 2016. The draft will carry the names of voters who have attained the age of 18 years to become eligible for casting votes as on January 1, 2017.

According to the time table of the office, the electoral roll of the voters will be finalised on January 10 next year and after which the process of filing nominations around January 15 or January 20 could be announced. This hints at the elections could be organised in February or March in 2017.

The last Assembly elections were held in January 2012 and the results were announced in March. The present government will complete its five-year tenure in March 2017.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat has been saying, “It is for the Election Commission to set the date for the Assembly elections,” it has not put to rest to speculation about early elections.

“There has to be a limit to what one can promise. Harish Rawat has gone overboard making so many promises. No wonder, all these people will demand the fulfilment of promises and to escape their ire, he may go for early elections,” said Ajay Bhatt, Uttarakhand BJP president.