RS ELECTIONS PUT OFF OVER CLASH WITH HACKATHON, PRESIDENTIAL POLL

NEWDELHI: The Election Commission on Monday deferred elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats scheduled for June 8, citing the presidential poll in July and the EVM hacking challenge which begins on June 3.

The poll panel in a statement said fresh dates for elections will be announced later.

An EC official said the polls have been deferred since they would coincide with the Presidential elections.

“The secretaries of legislative assemblies are notified as returning officers for the biennial elections to council of States and they are also to be appointed as assistant returning officers for Presidential elections,” an official said.

The Rajya Sabha elections have also been deferred on account of the open challenge that is being conducted by the poll panel on June 3, where recognised national and regional political parties are being invited to prove allegations that electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be rigged.

Elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Goa, Gujarat and West Bengal were to be held ahead of the Presidential election, which is likely to take place before July 24.

The term of several members, including Union Minister Smriti Irani, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien are set to end in July and August.

The tenure of Congress’ Shantaram Naik an RS member from Goa ends on July 28, while his party colleague Ahmed Patel, Dilipbhai Pandya and Irani from the BJP - all from Gujarat - will end their term on August 18.

The tenure of RS members from West Bengal - Derek O’Brien and his party colleagues Dola Sen, Shukhendu Shekhar Roy and Debabrata Bandhopadhyay, Pradip Bhattacharya of the Congress and Sitaram Yechury of the CPM also ends on August 18.