GG News Bureau
Lucknow, 17th Oct. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have urged the Election Commission to shift the dates of upcoming bypolls in Uttar Pradesh from November 13 to November 20, citing the observance of Kartik Purnima.
A delegation led by BJP’s state general secretary, Govind Narain Shukla, met with the Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to formally present their request. In a letter, the delegation emphasized the cultural and religious significance of Kartik Purnima, which falls on November 15, noting that many people from the state engage in rituals such as bath and puja on this day.
“Kartik Purnima is of great importance in Uttar Pradesh. A large number of people travel to places like Kundarki, Meerapur, Ghaziabad, and Prayagraj several days before the festival to participate in fairs and worship,” the delegation stated. They expressed concern that the scheduled bypolls might see reduced voter turnout as many voters would be occupied with the festivities.
The delegation highlighted the Election Commission’s commitment to ensuring maximum voter participation, arguing that the Kartik Purnima celebrations could negatively impact voter turnout if the bypolls proceed as scheduled on November 13. “It would be appropriate to reschedule the bypolls to November 20,” the letter read.
RLD also supported this request, with party national spokesperson Anil Dubey emphasizing the significance of the Kartik Purnima bathing ritual, particularly in the river Ganga. The RLD suggested that moving the election date would accommodate the cultural priorities of the people and ensure a higher voter turnout.
Bypolls are currently set to be held on November 13 in nine assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, including Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sisamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad). Polls for Milkipur (Ayodhya) have not yet been announced.
The Election Commission is yet to respond to the requests from the BJP and RLD. The decision will impact a significant portion of the electorate, as both parties argue that aligning the poll dates with local cultural observances would help maintain higher participation levels.
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