Election Commission 'not in a hurry' to declare Wayanad bypoll

New Delhi, March 29

The Election Commission on Wednesday said there is no hurry to declare by-election to the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat as the trial court has given Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as member, a month to file an appeal.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the poll panel had taken decisions on vacancies that had occurred till February.

Addressing a press conference here, the CEC said the trial court in Surat had given Rahul Gandhi 30 days to seek a judicial remedy in the matter.

“There is no hurry, we will wait. There is no hurry to do it before exhausting that particular remedy which the trial court has accorded. We will take a call after that,” Kumar said.

He said the vacancy in the Wayanad parliamentary party was notified on March 23 this year and as per the law, a bypoll has to be conducted within six months.

Kumar said the law also states that if the remainder of the term is less than one year, then the election will not be held.

The CEC said that in case of Wayanad, the remainder of the term is more than a year.