New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday rejected a plea seeking to prepone the poll timing to 5 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. in view of Ramzan.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court had directed the petitioner to present the case before the poll body.
Rejecting the plea, the poll body said it does not think altering the timing for polls is feasible for the remaining three phases of the general election.
The poll body in its response said the Commission has factored into — the shortage of manpower, logistics, heat wave conditions, presence of polling agents during mock polls, adequate facilities at each polling station, and the polling officers are already working at extended hours to complete the job.
Therefore, in view of these circumstances, polling hours are already long enough, it is best not to alter the timing of the poll, it said.
The poll body also cited that the timing of the sunrise varies in states going to polls, and in this case, the poll would have to start before sunrise. In such a scenario, additional logistical and administrative changes would have to be introduced, in addition to the security arrangements.
It also told the petitioner that election officials are already hard-pressed, and clocking nearly 16 hours at work on the polling day, and starting the polls early would further impact the mock poll process too.
The petition was filed by advocates Mohammed Nizamuddin Pasha and Asad Hayat, before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing. The bench directed the poll body’s counsel to take a decision on the issue.
Earlier on May 2, The Top Court asked the Election Commission to consider whether the polling time can be modified and voting can begin from 5 am instead of 7 am in the view of Ramzan month. Ramzan month is coinciding with remaining three phases of the general elections 2019 – May 6, May 12 and May 19.
General Elections 2019 has already started and is being held across seven phases starting April 11 to May 19. Voting in 51 seats under Phase-V is currently underway. Counting of the votes will be held on May 23. Voting of the remaining 118 constituencies will be held in two phases slated on May 12 and May 19.
ALSO READ:
- Lok Sabha Polls 2019: EC gives ‘another’ clean chit to PM Modi; this time for seeking votes on Pulwama, Balakot
- Lok Sabha Polls 2019: Navjot Singh Sidhu gets EC’s notice for ‘personal remarks’ on PM Modi
- Lok Sabha Polls 2019: EC bars Sadhvi Pragya from campaigning for 3 days for remarks on Babri mosque, Hemant Karkare