Bhubaneswar: The State Election Commission in Odisha Wednesday deferred the bypolls to a few three-tier panchayat institutions from May 22 as the early onset of monsoon is expected in the region, an official said.
The panel had Tuesday issued a notification for the by-elections for 1,043 vacant ward member seats, 43 sarpanchs, 40 panchayat samiti seats and 5 zilla parishad members. The polls were scheduled May 22 and June 25.
Keeping in view of the early onset of monsoon, the notification for the by-elections stands cancelled and the polls will be held after the rainy season is over, a SEC official told reporters here.
Immediately after the issuance of the notification, feedback from the district officials, the public and intending candidates for the by-elections poured in, suggesting that there may be disruption in the poll process due to early monsoon and inconvenience to voters, he said.
The commission immediately sought a report from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bhubaneswar.
Quoting the IMD report, the official said the southwest monsoon is likely to reach Kerala in the next three to four days, much earlier than the usual date of June 1.
The conditions for the onset of monsoon are likely to become favourable for some parts south and central Bay of Bengal, he said.
“Hence, there could be an early onset of monsoon in Odisha. Keeping this in view, the commission reviewed its earlier decision and decided to defer the poll schedule for the by-elections,” the official added.
PTI