The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday further deferred Rajya Sabha elections in wake of the coronavirus crisis. The polls body said that it is using its power under Article 324 of the Constitution read with Section 153 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to extend the period of Rajya Sabha elections beyond the prescribed terms of 18 seats across seven states.
Last month, ECI had postponed the March 26 Rajya Sabha elections citing threat of coronavirus. The decision was taken to prevent gatherings of any nature which expose the concerned people to health hazards, the ECI had said.
“Commission has now further reviewed the prevailing situation after taking all facts and circumstances in view and concluded that continuing electoral process in the current environment may not be feasible in view of the restrictions for the maintenance of public safety and avoiding health hazard,” it said in a press release.
The ECI further added that “the list of contesting candidates, already published for the said elections by the respective Returning Officers shall remain valid for the purposes of remaining activities, as prescribed under the said notifications.”
A fresh date of poll and counting for the said biennial elections shall be intimated in due course after reviewing the prevailing situation, the commission informed.
A total of 17 members from six states are retiring on April 9, while one member from Meghalaya is retiring on April 12. The six states include Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Source: dnaindia.com