Bhubaneswar: The notification of dates for the Bijepur by-poll may come out any time after January 20 after finalisation of the voter list. According to joint Chief Electoral Officer, the voter list for Bijepur assembly segment will be readied by January 20 after which the commission will gear up to notify the dates for the by-election.
With the state scheduled to go to general and assembly polls in 2019, the voter list for other 146 constituencies will be prepared in February, the official said.
Amid allegations of delay in the by-poll notification, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) DN Gupta had earlier clarified that while the six- month period of by-election is normally counted from the date of the vacancy, if there is any election-related petition pending in court, the period starts from the date of finalisation of the case and the by-poll is held within six months of the closure of the case.
The Bijepur by-poll followed from the death of three-time Congress MLA Subal Sahu August 22, 2017 and the Orissa High Court finalised a petition filed by BJD leader Prasanna Acharya challenging the election of late Sahu October 16, 2017.
VVPATs and EVMs have been procured and officials have been trained for the by-poll. The CEO is waiting for the direction of the Election Commission of India for going ahead with the poll.
PNN