E-Paper
Mandi, Fatehpur bypolls due in Aug, ECI seeks report on Covid situation
With byelections for the Fatehpur assembly and Mandi Lok Sabha seat due in August and September respectively, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a report on the Covid-19 situation in Himachal
With byelections for the Fatehpur assembly and Mandi Lok Sabha seat due in August and September respectively, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a report on the Covid-19 situation in Himachal.
The Mandi Lok Sabha seat had fallen vacant on March 17 after the demise of Member of Parliament Ram Swaroop Sharma. He was found dead at his official residence in New Delhi.
The Fatehpur assembly seat, on the other hand, was represented by Congress legislator and former minister Sujan Singh Pathania who died on February 12 after a prolonged illness.
Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, mandates the EC to fill vacancies in the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures through byelections within six months of the date of occurrence of the vacancy.
Chief electoral officer C Paularasu said the state government will ask the election commission to consult them before announcing the poll plan.
On May 25, the EC, while reviewing the situation amid the second wave of the pandemic, had observed that it would not be appropriate to hold byelections till the pandemic situation improves.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislative party had suggested to the high command to postpone the byelection which was supposed to be held with last round of elections in Bengal. The party had urged the commission to relax the constitutional binding of holding elections within six months.
Parties gear up for polls
Meanwhile, political parties have started preparations for the polls.
BJP had appointed industries minister Bikram Singh and former state chief Satpal Singh Satti as incharges for Fathepur elections. Former Rajya Sabha member Kripal Parmar is among the claimants for the ticket along with party’s local leader Baldev Thakur. The Congress had appointed former transport minister GS Bali as its in charge and forwarded only one name for candidature -- Bhawani Singh Pathania, the son of Sujan Singh Pathania.
In Mandi, there are four claimants for the BJP ticket. Kargil war hero Brigadier Kushal Singh Thakur, who is currently the chairman of HP ex-servicemen corporation, party secretary Payal Vaidya and BJP’s chief spokesman Ajay Rana are in the race while a section of the party is keen on fielding the party’s senior most minister Mahender Singh Thakur, who holds the horticulture and Jal Shakti portfolio.
Thakur himself is not keen to contest. On the other hand, the Congress is still in dilemma over the candidates. During the previous elections, it had pitted former chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh against Ram Sawroop Sharma. Pratibha has served as the Lok Sabha member from Mandi while former telecommunication minister Sukhram’s grandson Ashray Sharma who lost to Ram Swaroop Sharma last time is also vying for the ticket.
