EC reschedules bypolls in 14 Assembly constituencies to Nov 20; here’s why

The Election Commission (EC) announced on Monday (November 4) that bypolls in 14 assembly constituencies will now be held on November 20, having been previously scheduled for November 13. This decision follows requests from major national and regional political parties, including the BJP, Congress, BSP, and RLD, as well as appeals from certain social organisations, all of which advocated for a change in polling dates for several constituencies.

The constituencies affected by this rescheduling include – Palakkad in Kerala; Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC), Barnala, and Gidderbaha in Punjab; and Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Sishamau, Phulpur, Katehari, and Majhawan in Uttar Pradesh.

Why did EC postpone bypolls?

The EC’s decision to reschedule the bypolls was prompted by concerns raised by political parties and social groups. According to an EC statement, a number of significant social, cultural, and religious events scheduled for November 13 could create logistical challenges and potentially reduce voter turnout. The statement, issued by Sanjeev Kumar Prasad, secretary to the Election Commission, pointed out that these events might inconvenience many people and impact participation on the original polling date.

Previously, the EC had set bypolls for 48 Assembly constituencies and two parliamentary constituencies across 15 states for November 13, with counting and completion of polls to take place on November 23 and November 25, respectively. Among those who advocated for the rescheduling was Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State, Kapil Dev Agarwal. Last month, he wrote to the Election Commission and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, requesting a new date to avoid overlapping with the Kartik Fair in Shukratal, an annual event held from November 11 to 15, which holds particular importance in his Meerapur constituency.