EC yet to announce date for Ludhiana West bypoll
While all eyes are on the announcement of the date for the Ludhiana West constituency bypoll. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has still not given any indication about the same. However, it is expected that the date can be announced anytime soon as the six months’ time period will be over on July 11 and before that about one month is required to conduct the elections.
Talking to The Tribune, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, Sibin C, said he could not comment on the announcement of the date for the Ludhiana West bypoll.
“The decision will be taken by the CEC as the bypolls have to be conducted at many other places in Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kerala and Punjab. But another thing is that the six months’ time will lapse on July 11, hence, before that, the elections are to be conducted,” the official said.
At the same time, the election scene in Ludhiana is already heated up with bigwigs visiting the city in routine. Two days ago, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu was in the city and had reportedly met senior BJP leaders over the bypoll. On Tuesday, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal visited the city to address a press conference and talked about ‘AAP’s false propaganda’.
Meanwhile, the three candidates for the bypoll — Sanjeev Arora from AAP, ParopkarSingh Ghuman from SAD and Bharat Bhushan Ashu from the Congress are regularly holding meetings with voters of the constituency. All candidates had been eagerly waiting for the election date to be announced as “hectic” campaigning in the sultry weather was certainly not an easy task. Supporters and party workers too feel that even if they want to rest, it is not possible now.
“So much money is involved and untiring efforts are being done. This is the time when we can reach to maximum voters. Though temperatures are touching 41-42°C but it is no deterrent,” said one of the supporters and close aides of a candidate in the fray.
