EC announces bypolls for 5 seats in Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal next month, counting of votes on...

The Election Commission of India on Sunday released the schedule for the bye-elections which are to be held to fill vacancies in Assembly constituencies of Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal. Polling for the constituencies will be held on June 19, and votes will be counted on June 23. Bye-election will be held in Gujarat's constituencies Kadi and Visavadar to fill the posts of Karsanbhai Punjabhai Solanki who passed away in February this year and the resignation of Bhayani Bhupendrabhai Gandubhai.

In Kerala, the bye-election will be held in Nilambur to fill the post of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA who resigned in January this year. He was appointed convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In Punjab, the bye-election will be held in Ludhiana West to fill the post of Gurpreet Bassi Gogi after his demise their January.

The bypolls will be held in West Bengal's Kaliganj to fill the post of Nasiruddin Ahamed who passed away of a cardiac arrest in February this year.

Earlier, on May 23, in line with various initiatives aimed at enhancing voter initiative and streamlining poll day arrangements, the Election Commission issued two more comprehensive instructions for providing mobile deposit facilities for voters outside polling stations and rationalising norms for canvassing, according to an official statement.

The instructions are in line with the relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.

Recognising the increasing coverage and usage of mobile phones in both urban and rural areas and the challenges faced not only by the voters at large but also by senior citizens, women, and PwD electors in managing mobile phones on the poll day, the Commission has decided to allow a mobile deposit facility just outside the polling stations.

Only mobile phones shall be allowed within 100 meters of the polling station and that too in switched-off mode, the release said.

As per the release, very simple pigeonhole boxes or jute bags shall be provided near the entrance door of the polling station where the voters would be required to deposit their mobile phones. Mobile phones shall not be allowed to be carried inside the polling station by the voter.

However, certain Polling Stations can be exempted from this provision based on adverse local circumstances by the Returning Officer. Rule 49M of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which ensures secrecy of voting within the polling station, will continue to be strictly enforced.

Further, in a move aimed at improving election day facilitation, the Commission has rationalised the permissible norms for canvassing in line with the electoral laws to 100 meters from the entrance of the polling station.

However, electioneering shall not be allowed within a 100-meter radius around the Polling Station on the day of the poll. Therefore, the booths set up by the candidates on poll day for issuing unofficial identity slips to electors, in case the electors are not carrying their official Voter Information Slips (VIS) issued by the Commission, can now be set up just beyond 100 meters of any polling station.

The Election Commission of India, under the Chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, remains committed to conducting elections strictly in accordance with the legal framework, while continuously innovating to improve the facilities for the voters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)