Keral

EC to take a call on bypolls

The Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office has apprised the Central Election Commission of the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 spread and the problems in holding byelections in two Assembly segments.

Commission sources told The Hindu on Wednesday that the CEO’s office had informed the CEC of the practical problems in conducting the byelections in the Kuttanad and Chavara segments that had fallen vacant following the death of former Transport Minister Thomas Chandy and CPI(M) MLA Vijayan Pillai.

As per rules, once a segment falls vacant, byelection should be held within six months. Holding elections as per the COVID-19 protocol is not easy either. In the wake of the CEO’s report, the CEC would take a final call on the issue, the sources said.

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