New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) The Election Commission on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it will postpone the bypolls to the Karnataka Assembly seats, which fell vacant after the then Speaker disqualified rebelled legislators.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the Election Commission, assured a bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana that the poll panel will defer the date of election for 15 assembly seats.
After assurance from the Election Commission, the top court deferred the matter for October 22 and asked all the parties to file their responses in the matter.
The poll panel told the court that the Representation of the People Act mandates the poll panel to fill the casual vacancies of state legislatures through bye-elections, within six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy, so it can defer the poll.
Vacancy of these seats was notified on July 25 and the poll panel still has time to fill them, Dwivedi said.
However the Election Commission did not comment on the then Speaker’s decision to disqualify the rebel MLAs.
However, the poll panel has earlier made a contrary statement and on September 23, it told the court that elections should not be stayed in the disqualification row over Karnataka MLAs.
The court was hearing the disqualified MLAs’ pleas seeking to contest the bypolls, which were scheduled for October 21.
–IANS
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