Press Note : Schedule for bye-election to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab to fill the casual vacancy from 20-Ajnala assembly constituency
PRESS NOTE
Subject : Schedule for bye-election to the Legislative
Assembly of Punjab to fill the casual vacancy from 20-Ajnala assembly constituency.
The seat of Dr. Rattan Singh Ajnala, in the Legislative Assembly
of the State of Punjab, elected from 20-Ajnala Assembly constituency in the
State had become vacant on 25th May 2004, by reason of his resignation.
Bye-election could not be held within normal period as envisaged under section
151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 as an election petition
was pending before the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana. As the said
petition has been dismissed by the said High court vide order dated 17-12-2004,
the Commission has now, decided to fill up the said vacancy as per the following
schedule: -
|
Event
|
Date
|
|
Issue of notifications
|
29th January,
2005 ( Saturday )
|
|
Last date for making
nominations
|
5th February,
2005 (Saturday)
|
|
Scrutiny of nominations
|
7th
February,2005 ( Monday )
|
|
Last date for withdrawal
of candidature
|
9th
February,2005 ( Wednesday)
|
|
Date of poll
|
23rd
February,2005 ( Wednesday)
|
|
Counting of votes
|
27th February,
2005 ( Sunday )
|
|
Date before which the
election shall be completed
|
5th March, 2005
( Saturday )
|
ELECTORAL ROLLS
The summary revision
of electoral rolls with reference to 1.1.2005 as qualifying date in respect
of the said 20-Ajnala-assembly constituency shall be finally published on
25th April 2005. The vacancy
could not be filled up within six months from the date of vacancy as an election
petition was pending before the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana.
Now, as the Hon’ble High Court vide its order dated
17-12-2004 has dismissed the said election petition and therefore, the Commission has decided to hold bye-election to fill up the said vacancy with
the current electoral roll i.e. the roll revised w.r.t. 01-01-2004 as qualifying
date. Commission’s direction to this effect under Section 21(2)(a)(ii) of
the Representation of the People Act, 1950 is being issued separately.
ELECTRONIC
VOTING MACHINES
The Commission has
decided to use Electronic Voting Machines
(EVMs) in the said bye-election in all the polling stations. Adequate
number of EVMs has been made available to the State.
IDENTIFICATION
OF VOTERS
In consonance with
Commission’s policy, it has been decided
that compulsory identification of voters through Electoral Photo
Identity Cards (EPIC) will be made at the polling stations on the day of poll
in the aforementioned bye-election. The voters have; therefore, to produce the
EPIC issued to them by the Commission, at the polling stations for their
identification, before they are allowed to vote. In order that no voter is
deprived of his/her right of franchise, separate instruction is being issued to
allow documents other than EPIC for the identification of such voters who have
so far not been issued EPIC or who are not able to produce the EPIC because of
circumstances beyond their control. These voters have to produce invariably any
one of the documents listed therein at the polling stations on the day of poll
for their identification.
MODEL CODE
OF CONDUCT
The Model Code of
Conduct comes into effect immediately from today the 10th January
2005 and will be in force till the completion of the bye-election. The model
code will be applicable in the whole of the Amritsar District in which the said
assembly constituency falls. It will be applicable to all Political Parties and
the State and Central Governments as far as the said District is concerned.
Election
Commission of India
New
Delhi, Pausa 20, 1926
January 10, 2005
RM/AMA
(Release ID :6412)