UP assembly bypolls: Voting now on Nov 20, no change in counting date

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday rescheduled assembly bypolls from November 13 to November 20 for all nine seats in Uttar Pradesh.

In a press statement, secretary, ECI, Sanjeev Kumar Prasad said, “Representations have been received in the commission from various recognised national and state political parties (including BJP, INC, BSP, RLD) and some social organisations for change of date for polling in some assembly constituencies having by-elections on November 13, 2024, considering large scale social, cultural and religious engagements on that day which may cause inconvenience to large number of people, give rise to various logistic issues and may lead to reduced voters participating during the poll.”

“The date of the counting of the votes—November 23— remains unchanged. Earlier on October 17, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) had urged the ECI to revise the polling date for the by election in 9 assembly constituencies from November 13 to 20 in view of the Kartik Purnima festivity on November 15,” Prasad added.

A delegation of the BJP state unit leaders, including secretaries Govind Narayan Shukla, Sanjay Rai, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and state convenor Akhilesh Kumar Awasthi had submitted a memorandum to Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa, demanding change in the polling date from November 13 to 20.

The BJP leaders had said, “In Uttar Pradesh, people in large numbers participate in Kartik Purnima mela organised in various districts. The devotees from Kundarki, Meerapur, Ghaziabad and Prayagarj go on traditional pilgrimage three days before the Kartik Purnima festivity.”

“Large number of voters won’t be able to exercise their franchise and it may lead to fall in poll percentage as well. The ECI has expressed its commitment to polling by all voters. In view of the festivity, the ECI should revise the poll date,” they added.

An RLD delegation led by its national spokesperson Anil Dubey too handed over a memorandum to the CEO demanding revision of polling date for the Meerapur assembly seat. Dubey said, “A big fair is organised at the historical pilgrimage spot—Shukratal— located in that assembly constituency. Large number of people assemble at the spot to take a holy dip in the Ganga on Kartik Purnima.”

“Lakhs of devotees and farmers set up camps on the Ganga banks with their families five to six days before the full moon to take a bath in the Ganga,” he added. This year, Ganga Snan (bath) will be on November 15. Large number of voters will be deprived of their right to vote on November 13. The ECI should revise the polling date to ensure that maximum people exercise their franchise, Dubey said.

“It was good that the ECI listened to our demand and changed the date of polling. It will provide a chance to thousands of people to cast their votes,” said RLD’s national general secretary Trilok Tyagi.

The ECI had on October 15 announced schedule for polling in 9 assembly constituencies, including Karhal, Katehri, Kundarki, Khair, Majhawan, Meerapur, Sisamau, Phulpur and Ghaziabad Sadar on November 13.

Welcoming the ECI decision, Uttar Pradesh minister Kapil Dev Agarwal said, “In view of the festivity, large number of voters would have been deprived of their right to vote. With the revision of the dates, the voters will participate in voting in strength and polling percentage will definitely increase.”

On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party has said no matter how much the dates are changed for polling, the BJP won’t be able to change the results of the bypolls.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav wrote on X, “First the Milkipur by-election was postponed, now the date of by-elections for the rest of the seats has been rescheduled. BJP was never this week. The fact is that due to ‘maha-unemployment’ in UP, people who go to work in the entire country have come to UP for Diwali and Chhath holidays and were going to vote in the by-elections to defeat the BJP. “

“As soon as the BJP got to know this, it postponed the by-elections so that people’s holidays end and they go back without casting their votes. This is an old trick of the BJP, if they lose, they will postpone,” he alleged.

Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said, “In order to save itself from defeat, the BJP is hatching conspiracies. First, bypolls were to be held on 10 assembly seats which was later reduced to nine. Now, the polling dates have been changed.”

“Atrocities on Dalits and women are at an all-time high but the government is busy protecting criminals. Kartik Purnima date was pre-decided. Now, all of a sudden what happened that dates of polling were changed? The BJP is going to lose all the seats,” Awasthi added.