EC seeks explanation over plea to extend voting time for Sangrur bypoll

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 23

Amid voting for the Sangrur bypoll, the Election Commission has sought explanation from the Punjab Chief Secretary and the District Commissioner, Sangrur for seeking extension in polling time.

In a statement, the poll panel said, “The ECI seeks explanation from the DC, Sangrur, and the Chief Secretary, Punjab, for asking for extension of polling time towards closing hours at 4 pm without any new facts appearing on the day of polling and, thereby, attempting to influence a section of voters.”

Warns of action

• The EC expresses “displeasure” on the “unwarranted communication making request for extension of poll timing”
• Seeks reasons behind the demand by 1 pm on Friday to take further decision on initiating disciplinary proceedings

It said the letter of the Returning Officer and a subsequent request by the Chief Secretary at 4.05 pm amounted to “attempt to unduly interfere in the election process and influence certain class of voters by conveying them to expedite voting or wait for time extension”.

The commission condemns such behaviour by the officers during the election process, it noted. In a strongly-worded letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab, the EC expressed “displeasure” on the “unwarranted communication making request for extension of poll timing on the poll day for reasons which pre-existed even during the notification of the bypoll”.

Officials in the ECI said the plea taken to extend time was that the people were still working in paddy fields. It was a fact, which was already known when the notification was issued.

“I have been directed to state that detailed explanation from the Chief Secretary and Returning Officer shall be called regarding reasons and circumstances and new facts that arose in the afternoon of polling day necessitating writing of such a letter so as to reach the commission by tomorrow (Friday) 1 pm to take further decision on initiating disciplinary proceedings,” the letter by a secretary in the ECI said.

The Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll was necessitated after Bhagwant Mann won a seat in the Punjab Assembly poll recently and became the state Chief Minister.

Earlier in the day Punjab chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had urged the ECI to increase the voting time for the bypoll by an hour (till 7 pm). Taking to Twitter, he said a large section of the electorate was busy in paddy transplantation and had been unable to exercise its franchise.

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