Election Commission defers February 14 Punjab Assembly election due to Guru Ravidas Jayanti

The Election Commission has announced that the voting for Punjab`s 117 assembly seats will now take place on February 20.

New Delhi: After receiving requests from several political parties including the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Election Commission on Monday (January 17, 2022) decided to postpone the February 14 assembly election in Punjab.

The Election Commission has announced that the voting for the state's 117 assembly seats will now take place on February 20 (Sunday).

"Commission has received several representations from State Government, Political Parties and other organizations drawing attention regarding movement of a large number of devotees from Punjab to Varanasi for participation in Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Jayanti celebrations, which is observed on 16th February 2022. They have also brought to the notice that a large number of devotees start moving for Varanasi around a week before the day of celebration and keeping the poll day on 14th February 2022 will deprive large number of electors from voting," the EC said in a statement.

"In view of this, they have requested to shift the poll date few days after 16th February 2022. Commission has also taken inputs from State Government and Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab in this regard. After considering these new facts emerging out of these representations, inputs from the State Government and Chief Electoral Officer, past precedence and all facts and circumstances in the matter, now Commission has decided to reschedule the General Elections to Legislative Assembly of Punjab," the EC added.

Earlier on Sunday, in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking postponement of the election, Punjab BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma had said, "The state has a substantial population of followers of Guru Ravidas Ji, including the Scheduled Caste (SC) community which is about 32 per cent of the population of Punjab."

"On this pious occasion, millions of the devotees would visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh to celebrate the gurparb. So it would not be possible for them to participate in the voting process. It is therefore requested to your goodself that the date of voting may be postponed so that these voters of Punjab could participate in the election process," he wrote.

Former chief minister Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) also supported the demand for postponing the voting for Punjab's 117 assembly seats by a week.

"Tens of thousands of people from Punjab visit Banaras every year around Guru Ravidas Jayanti," said PLC general secretary Kamal Saini in a letter to the poll panel.

"Since elections are scheduled two days before Guru Ravidas Jayanti, many voters may be denied the chance to exercise the franchise as they will be away to Banaras for the annual pilgrimage," Saini wrote.

The PLC leader said it should not be difficult for the poll panel to reschedule the date for Punjab, as everything else will remain the same.

Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, in a letter to the poll panel, also sought that the date of voting be postponed.

Earlier on January 13, Chief Minister Channi had also urged the Election Commission to postpone the polling date by six days 'for enabling around 20 lakh SC devotees to utilise their right to vote for the state legislative assembly.'

"A large number of SC devotees from the state are likely to visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16. In such a situation, many people from this community would not be able to cast their votes for the state assembly," said Channi who belongs to the SC community.

Bahujan Samaj Party's Punjab chief Jasvir Singh Garhi, notably, was one the firsts to demand postponement of the polling. He had requested the Election Commission to hold the polls on February 20, instead of February 14.

(With agency inputs)