Even though the political parties declared the candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls for 10 seats in West Bengal, Gujarat, and Goa, the Election Commission has postponed the polls. The election was supposed to take place June 9. No new dates were declared now.
Out of 10 seats, six were to be chosen from West Bengal, three from Gujarat and one from Goa. EC has cited the Presidential Elections and the impending EVM challenge as the cause behind deferral of the polls.
“The conduct of the Presidential Elections may coincide with the schedule of Biennial Elections as announced and in view of the fact the Secretaries of legislative Assemblies are notified as Returning Officer for Biennial Elections to the council of States and they are also to be appointed as Assistant Returning Officers for Presidential Elections 2017,” EC said.
EC has invited political parties to prove the allegations made on tamperability of VVPAT EVMs from June 3. The commission feels the Rajya Sabha polls “will divert the attention of some of the parties who may like to participate in the challenge.”
Notably, All India Trinamool Congress has taken a rigid stand against the EVMs. The party Vice President Mukul Roy told EC in the all-party meeting that “EVMs are not at all reliable and strongly demanded (that) the EC start using paper ballots in all future polls”.
