Madhya Pradesh by-elections deferred due to Covid-19

By-elections for 27 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh have been indefinitely deferred in view of the spread of Covid-19. State office of the Election Commission of India on Thursday sent a proposal to this effect to the Union Law Ministry. The proposal suggested that the by-elections, which are scheduled to be held before September 10, are not possible due to the spread of the pandemic in Madhya Pradesh.

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The state, which has recorded over 25,000 Covid-19 cases and 800 deaths, will be under 10-day lockdown that is being re-imposed from Friday after seven weeks of unlocking. The Gwalior- Chambal region, where 17 out of 27 by elections are due, has witnessed an alarming spike in coronavirus cases in July. The patients in the region include a cabinet minister and a Congress MLA.

A total 22 Congress MLAs resigned on March 10, leading to the fall of the Kamal Nath government. Two seats were already vacant and three more fell vacant owing to resignations of Congress MLAs in the last two weeks. Under the constitutional obligation to fill the vacant seats within six months, bypolls were to be conducted before September 10. Only two days ago, chief election commissioner Sunil Arora had said election programme for the bypolls in Madhya Pradesh could be announced soon.

However, the state office of the election commission after reviewing all aspects of feasibility of holding elections in the corona situation decided to defer the by elections.

Congress has objected to deferment of the by elections. State Congress media chief and former minister Jitu Pawari alleged that the elections have been deferred at the behest of the Modi government to prevent the Congress from recapturing power in Madhya Pradesh.