Reconsider holding Solan MC election on May 17: BJP to Election Commission
Reconsider Party cites administrative concerns as Radha Swami conference to be held on same day
Citing concerns over chaos and traffic hassles in Solan city in view of a religious congregation on May 17, the BJP on Tuesday requested the state Election Commission to reconsider holding the Solan Municipal Corporation election on the same day.
Expressing concern over two key events being organised on May 17, Shailendra Gupta, BJP Solan city president, said: “The election for the Solan Municipal Corporation has been fixed on May 17. A huge religious conference is being organised by Radha Swami Satsang Beas on May 16 and 17, which is likely to attract lakhs of devotees from outside the area, like every year.”
Under such circumstances, holding such a large religious event and municipal elections at the same time could pose a serious challenge from an administrative point of view, he added, saying traffic, crowd management and security arrangements in the city were likely to be affected.
In addition, voters may face inconvenience as the voting time is limited to 3 pm.
“As the administration will have the responsibility of smoothly conducting a large religious conference, ensuring fair and peaceful polling at the same time can be a major challenge. The possibility of disorder arising in such circumstances cannot be ruled out,” Gupta said.
