HC asks EC to hold Beas polls before Feb 27

Chandigarh, Feb 22 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Election Commission to hold the Assembly polls to the Beas Assembly constituency before February 27, the date of counting of votes in February 13 Assembly polls in rest of Punjab.

The EC had fixed March 11 as the polling date after postponing polling in the constituency following violence on January 29 in which one person was killed and some others were injured in the clash between rival groups.

The HC directive came in response to the writ petition filed by Jasbir Singh Dimpa, the Congress candidate from the Beas constituency.

Dimpa had 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 Valtoha 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.

The petitioner had also moved an application to say that the polling if held on March 11, would hamper the annual examination of the students of the constituency as all the schools have been made the polling booths.

UNI