The Election Commission on Monday deferred the Punjab Assembly elections to February 20. Several parties had demanded that the polling date be changed from February 14 in view of the Guru Ravidas Jayanti.
Punjab elections were scheduled to be contested in a single phase on February 14. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit S Channi recently written to the poll commission, pleading with it to postpone the Assembly elections by six days in honour of Guru Ravidas’ birth anniversary.
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, Channi stated that it was brought to his attention by certain leaders of the Scheduled Castes group, which accounts for around 32% of the state’s population, because Guru Ravidas’ birth anniversary occurs on February 16. On this occasion, he stated that a significant number of devotees from the state are expected to visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16. Many members of this community would be unable to vote in the state assembly in such a case.