Coronavirus: EC uses constitutional powers to further defer RS polls to 18 seats

The Election Commission (EC) has further deferred the polling to fill up the 18 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The polling to elect the 18 members of the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Rajasthan had been scheduled to take place on March 26, but the EC on March 24 had postponed it in view of the lockdown imposed by the Centre and the State Governments to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thirty seven seats in the upper House of Parliament have already been filled up uncontested without requiring polling.

The poll-panel on Friday further postponed the election process “beyond the prescribed term(s)” of the respective Rajya Sabha seats.

The EC had on February 25 announced the elections to fill up the 55 Rajya Sabha vacancies and issued the notification on March 6.

The 17 of the 18 seats, which were to go to polls on March 26, will fall vacant on April 9, while the remaining one will fall vacant on April 12.

The EC reviewed the current unforeseen situation of public health emergency and the feasibility of completing the poll process for the aforesaid election. “(The) Commission, after taking all facts and circumstances in view, is of considered view that continuing electoral process in the current environment may not be feasible in view of the restrictions for the maintenance of public safety and avoiding health hazard,” it said.

“In view of the above, (the) Commission invoking its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India read with section 153 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 has further extended the period of election beyond the prescribed term(s) of above mentioned seats,” the EC stated on Friday.