UP: Election Commission comes to rescue of 5th Parishad seat

Yogi Adityanath had sent a special request to the ECI urging the poll panel to hold by-poll to one more upper house seat to save ministerial berth of one of his four colleagues in his council of ministers, confirmed sources in the Election Commission of India.

The Election Commission of India’s notification announcing by-election to one more (fifth) Vidhan Parishad seat has come as a great relief to the Yogi Adityanath government.

he ECI’s decision now ensures five seats for Yogi government’s five contenders.

As there were five contenders for four Vidhan Parishad seats, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had sent a special request to the ECI urging the poll panel to hold by-poll to one more upper house seat to save ministerial berth of one of his four colleagues in his council of ministers, confirmed sources in the Election Commission of India.

The ECI’s decision now ensures five seats for Yogi government’s five contenders.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his two deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma and two ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raza have to become members of either of the two houses of state legislature before completion of six months in office on September 19.

The BJP had got six Vidhan Parishad seats vacated for the five contenders. The ECI on August 24 had, however, announced by-polls only for four seats as term of remaining two seats was to end in less than one year. The ECI usually avoids holding by-election to seats having less than one year term. “This decision has been taken under special circumstances. There are precedents when by-election has been held on special request of the chief minister,” said sources.

With the ECI notification issued on Tuesday, the poll panel has announced by-election to Vidhan Parishad seat vacated by BSP’s Jaivir Singh whose term was scheduled to end on May 5, 2018. The ECI is, however, not holding by-poll for the sixth seat vacated by SP member Ambika Chaudhary, who had later joined the BSP.

While nominations to four Vidhan Parishad seats began on Tuesday, the nomination for fifth seat would begin on August 31 and end on September 7. The last date of withdrawals is September 11 and voting, if necessary, will take place on September 11 and counting on the same day.