6 months over, Ellenabad awaits bypoll

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 28

Though the statutory six-month deadline for holding byelection to the Ellenabad Assembly segment ended yesterday, there is no possibility of holding early election to the crucial seat.

While the state election department blamed Covid for delay, the INLD alleged that the state government was dragging its feet on holding elections due to fear of loss.

“The Ellenabad seat is the traditional INLD seat and the BJP-JJP government is delaying elections for the fear of loss. In fact, the state government’s delaying tactics have denied the people of the constituency their democratic right of electing their representative for over six months,” INLD national president Om Prakash Chautala said.

Chautala’s son Abhay Chautala, the lone party legislator in the 90-member Assembly, had resigned on January 27, 2021, expressing solidarity with the farmers agitating against three farm laws enacted by BJP-led Central Government.

Under the Representation of the People Act, any byelection must be held “within six months from the date of occurrence of vacancy.”

However, on May 5, the Election Commission of India, referring to three Lok Sabha and eight Assembly byelections across India, said, “It would not be appropriate to hold byelections till the pandemic situation significantly improves and conditions become conducive to hold the elections.”

Sources said instructions from the Election Commission on setting the electoral process for the Ellenabad segment in motion were still awaited.

“The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) acts on the directions of the Election Commission on the conduct of the elections and byelections and these are implemented in letter and spirit,” the sources added.

Govt fears loss, claims INLD

• INLD’s lone MLA Abhay Chautala (in pic) had resigned from the Assembly on January 27
• Under election rules, the byelection should have been held within six months
• On May 5, the EC had said it would not be appropriate to hold elections till the pandemic situation improved
• The INLD alleges that the BJP-JJP government is delaying the byelection as it apprehends defeat

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