BHUBANESHWAR: Uncertainty prevails over the date of by-poll to Bijepur assembly constituency even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) decided to publish the final voters list of the segment on January 20.
As the notification for the by-poll would have to be issued one month before the election and the higher secondary certificate (HSC) examination starts from February 23 and end on March 8, chances of an election in February appears bleak. Besides, notification for the by-poll cannot be issued before the publication of the final voters list on January 20.
Congress MLA from Bijepur Subal Sahu had died on August 22 and the state assembly had notified the seat as vacant on August 24. The by-poll should have been held by February 24.
In the midst of the blame game by BJD and BJP over delay in announcing the date of the by-poll, sources maintained that the by-poll is likely to be held either in March end or first week of April.
Some senior leaders of the three major political parties, BJD, BJP and Congress maintained that the six month period for holding the by-poll should be counted from October 15, the day on which the Odisha High Court closed an election dispute case filed by defeated BJD candidate Prasanna Acharya, now a Rajya Sabha member. However, political leaders left the interpretation of the Act to the ECI and avoided making any statement on legal matters.
The High Court had on October 15 closed the case on the grounds that the candidate Subala Sahoo is no more. The single judge bench of Justice D Dash said, since the only respondent in the case has expired, there is no need for the continuance of the proceedings.
Meanwhile, joint chief electoral officer Bhabani Prasad Ray told mediapersons that the the final voters list for the Bijepur assembly constituency will be published on January 20 as approved by ECI.
The final voters list of other 146 constituencies will be published on February 16.
Political observers believe that about two percent increase in the number of voters as per the new voters list, a majority of whom will be young, is likely to benefit the BJP.