Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on June 1, 2020, announced to hold the biennial elections to 18 seats of the Rajya Sabha (RS) from the States of Andhra Pradesh (4 seats), Gujarat (4 seats), Jharkhand (2 seats), Madhya Pradesh (3 seats), Manipur (1 seat), Meghalaya (1 seat), and Rajasthan (3 seats), on June 19, 2020. The counting of votes will take at 5 pm on June 19, 2020, itself.
The ECI has appointed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) concerned as Observer for the election in the respective State. The Commission has also decided that the Chief Secretaries shall depute a senior officer from the State to ensure that the extant instructions regarding COVID-19 containment measures are complied with while making arrangements for conducting the elections.
The ECI had on February 25, 2020, announced elections to the Council of States to fill 55 seats of Members from 17 States retiring in the month of April,2020, which were notified on March 6, 2020. After the last date of withdrawal on March 18, 2020, respective Returning Officers declared 37 seats from 10 States filled in uncontested.
Further, as per the reports received from the concerned Returning Officers, the biennial elections for 18 seats from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Rajasthan were to be conducted on March 26, 2020, and the date before which election was to be completed as earlier announced by the Commission was March 30, 2020, as per the notification dated March 6, 2020.
Section 153 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, specifies that the Election Commission for reasons which it considers sufficient, may extend the time for the completion of any election by making necessary amendments in the notification issued by it under section 30 or sub-section (1) of section 39 of the said Act.
Accordingly, considering the prevailing unforeseen situation of public health emergency due to COVID-19 and related advisories in the country, the ECI vide its press note dated March 24, 2020, deferred the poll and extended the period of said election under the provisions of section 153 of the said Act and decided that the announcement of fresh date of poll and counting for the said biennial elections will be made by it after reviewing the prevailing situation, according to a PIB release.
The press note also specified that the list of contesting candidates already published for the said election by the respective Returning Officers is to remain valid for the purpose of remaining activities as was prescribed under the March 6, 2020, notification. Now, Commission has reviewed the matter in detail.