Beas Election: Punjab DGP Summoned

Chandigarh, Feb 19 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Punjab police chief to appear in person on February 21 in connection with a plea for early conduct of polling in the Beas assembly constituency.

March 11 was fixed by the election commission in the wake of violence on January 29 in which one person was killed and some others were injured in the clash between rival groups.

Also, the state chief secretary, too, has been asked to file an affidavit in this connection, according to an order passed by the division bench of the Chief Justice Vijendra Jain and Justice Rajive Bhalla during the resumed hearing on the writ petition filed by Jasbir Singh Dimpa, the Congress candidate from the Beas constituency.

Dimpa has prayed for staying the declaration of the results of the polling held on February 13 for 115 of 117 seats of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha till the polling was held in Beas constituency.

As an alternative, the petitioner has sought directions for polling in Beas on February 24 when the nearby Valtoha constituency is due to go to polls.

The election at Valoha was deferred to February 24 by the Election Commission because of the death of a candidate. The results of 116 constituencies including Valtoha are due to be declared on February 27.

UNI