The Election Commission has changed the date of by-elections for 14 assembly seats in three states. Now voting on these seats will not be held on November 13, but on November 20. It is the prerogative of the Election Commission to decide the voting schedule and make changes in it. But the decision he has taken to make changes in the by-elections and the way changes have been made at selected places are raising questions. There is also a fact that whether it is a matter of changing the date of voting in Haryana or changing the schedule of by-elections, BJP has been very active in both. Its leaders were the first to request the Election Commission, which was accepted by the Election Commission. The main opposition Samajwadi Party has strongly opposed the postponement of voting on nine seats in Uttar Pradesh and has bluntly alleged that this decision has been taken to benefit the BJP.
However, the Election Commission has postponed the election of Palakkad Assembly seat of Kerala because there is a festival in Kerala. However, the Election Commission has not postponed the Wayanad Lok Sabha elections in Kerala itself. It is noteworthy that BJP is not in the fight in Wayanad but in Palakkad it is in a close contest. For the last two elections, she has been in second place. Last time i.e. in 2021, it got more than 35 percent votes. She is hoping to win the elections in a triangular contest and coincidentally she got one more week’s time to campaign there. The Election Commission, while postponing the by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, said that November 15 is the Ganga bath and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Is this a basis for postponing the elections? If there is a festival on 15th November then what is the problem in voting on 13th November? It is good that people will be free after voting! And if it is so important, then shouldn’t the Election Commission have taken care of this in advance? After the announcement of elections, it was not decided that Ganga bath and Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary would be celebrated on 15th November. It is noteworthy that BJP is stuck in the battle for prestige on all the nine seats in Uttar Pradesh and is hoping to win at least one seat in Punjab, Gidderbah.