New Delhi: The Election Commission of ECI on Wednesday decided to defer the bypolls in three Parliamentary and eight Assembly constituencies in view of the current COVID-19 situation in the country.
The three parliamentary constituencies were - Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh) and Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) while there eight vacant Assembly Constituencies viz Kalka and Ellenabad in Haryana, Vallabhnagar in Rajasthan, Sindgi in Karnataka, Rajabala and Mawryngkneng (ST) in Meghalaya, Fatehpur in Himachal Pradesh and Badvel (SC) in Andhra Pradesh.
“The Commission has reviewed the matter today and has decided that due to the outbreak of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country it would not be appropriate to hold bye-elections till the pandemic situation significantly improves and conditions become conducive to hold these bye-elections,” the poll body said.
The ECI recently received brickbats from opposition parties as well as Madras and Calcutta High Courts for its alleged failure in taking stringent actions against leaders for violating the COVID-19 protocols and conducting mass gatherings and rallies during Assembly polls for four States and one Union Territory.
It also received criticism for conducting West Bengal Assembly polls in eight phases despite virulent COVID-19 second wave hitting the country hard. (UNI)