’Too late to interfere’: Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party’s plea to postpone Bihar by-elections junked by SC
Elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Kerala were advanced by the Election Commission due to religious events, unlike Bihar's upcoming by-elections on November 13. The Supreme Court dismissed a delay plea from the Jan Suraaj Party, stating it's too late for changes.
Bihar by-elections remain scheduled for November 13 after the Supreme Court dismissed a plea calling for a delay. The petition had been filed by the newly formed Jan Suraaj Party led by strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it was too late to interfere in the scheduled by-polls.
“Other political parties do not have a problem. Only you have a problem. You are a new political party, you need to know these zig-zags,” the Bench said.
The state is slated to hold by-polls this week for the Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj and Imamganj assembly seats. Elections were necessitated after their MLAs got elected to the Lok Sabha.
The bypolls are scheduled for November 13 in Bihar — mere days after the conclusion of Chhath Puja. The Jan Suraaj Party contended that polling dates in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kerala were advanced by the Election Commission on the basis of religious events. However the Bihar polls did not see a similar treatment despite the Chhath Puja festival that is celebrated widely across the state. It claimed that the timing of elections would significantly affect voter participation and leave them with no time to campaign.
The ECI recently rescheduled by-elections from November 13 to 20 in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala due to large-scale social and cultural gatherings stating that it could lower voter turnout and cause logistical difficulties.
The Jan Suraaj Party was officially launched last month on Gandhi Jayanti and plans to contest all constituencies in the Bihar assembly elections next year. However the upcoming bypolls will be its first-ever electoral test.
Kishor however noted during the launch event that his party has been active on ground for the past two years — well before it was officially greenlit by the Election Commission of India.
The assembly elections in Bihar are likely to be held in October-November 2025.
Catch all the live action on Elections and get exclusive coverage on Assembly Election Results 2024 with Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Business NewsElections’Too late to interfere’: Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party’s plea to postpone Bihar by-elections junked by SC
First Published:11 Nov 2024, 08:46 PM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High