NEW DELHI: The Chief Election Commissioner Mr T.N.Seshan on Friday said the next government could not decide against holding elections in Punjab and Assam.
There was no provision in the law to enable the government to modify the presidential notification calling for elections all over the country except in Jammu and Kashmir Mr Seshan told reporters.
Nominations closed for Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the two states on Friday. Polling will be held in Assam on June 6 and 8 and in Punjab on June 22.
Mr Seshan explained that once the notification was issued and the schedule fixed it was only the commission which was empowered to change the dates of polling if it was satisfied that there were reasons necessitating such a course.
There were no limits for the period of such postponements which could be resorted to any numbers of times if the situation so demanded. Heavy rains and floods were one such factor that could necessitate repeated postponement of polling dates in a constituency he added.
Mr Seshan on Friday reserved order on the case relating to the dispute between the Asom Gana Parishad (ASP) and the reconstituted AGP over the Elephant symbol reserved for the undivided party.
Counsel of the two parties concluded arguments on Friday.
Appearing for the AGP owing allegiance to the former Chief Minister Mr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta advocate C.S.Vaidyanathhan said the majority of the AGP Rajya Sabha members and former MLAs were with the undivided party.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 10, 1991
