Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi urges EC to postpone assembly polls by ‘at least six days’

As the election frenzy in five major states is approaching, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has written a letter to the Election Commission, urging it to postpone the assembly polls in the state by “at least six days.”

The letter written by Channi, dated January 13, urged the EC to postpone the Punjab assembly elections 2022, which are set to commence from February 14 this year, as many of the Scheduled Caste community is likely to visit Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16 in view of Guru Ravidas birth anniversary.

The Punjab chief minister, in his letter, said, “In such a situation, many people from this community would not be able to cast their votes for the State Assembly, which is otherwise their constitutional right.”

CM Channi further added, “They have requested that the voting date may be extended in such a way that they are able to visit Banaras from 10th to 16th February 2022, as also participate in the Assembly elections.”

 

Punjab CM Charanjit S Channi wrote to Chief Election Commissioner on Jan 13, requesting him "to postpone Feb 14 State Assembly polls for at least six days as many people from SC community from the State likely to visit Varanasi,in view of Guru Ravidas birth anniversary on Feb 16" pic.twitter.com/TzLzR3t2fn — ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2022

 

The Punjab chief minister then urged the Election Commission to postpone the voting process of the assembly elections in the state by at least six days, “enabling about 20 lakh people to utilize their right to vote for the State Legislative Assembly”. 

The candidates’ list released by Congress on January 15 shows that current Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will be contesting the upcoming elections from Chamkaur Sahib SC, while Punjab Congress head Navjot Singh Sidhu is set to contest from Amritsar East.

The assembly elections in Punjab are set to commence from February 14 in a single phase, and the votes will be counted on March 10. During the last assembly polls in the state, the Congress had won by a massive majority with 77 seats, defeating the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government.

This year, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from his post and the Congress party and decided to form his own party called the Punjab Lok Congress, which will be contesting the elections in alliance with the BJP.

(With inputs from agencies)