IMPHAL, Jan 13: With the official approval of the Election Commission of India, the state Chief Electoral Officer has today announced the the bye-election to 18-Konthoujam Assembly Constituency, Imphal West district will be held on February 14 next month.
According to a highly placed source the official announcement of the bye-election schedule for the Konthoujam A/C was made following an approval from the Election Commission of India during its sitting held on January 11 at New Delhi after considering the recent approval of the state cabinet to conduct bye-election to the Konthoujam A/C in the aftermath of the sudden demised of the sitting MLA, late Dr Sapam Budhichandra Singh, former speaker of 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly during last part of September last year at AIMS New Delhi.
On the other hand as per the official bye-election scheduled for February 14 as fixed by the Election Commission of India, the formal issue of election notification will be done on January 21 and the last date of nomination is stated to be January 28, scrutiny of nominations will be done on January 29 while the last date of withdrawal of candidatures will be on January, 31 this month, date of poll is on February 14 next month, counting of votes will be done on February 17 next month and according to the notification by February 21all proceedings of the bye election should be completed, the official order of the ECI added.
In the meantime, it is further directed that, the electoral roll in respect of the Konthoujam A/C has been revised with reference to January, 1 2011 as the qualifying date and the same shall be used in the bye-election of the constituency.
Further, the ECI in its meeting on January 11 had also decided to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in this Bye-Election in all polling stations. Adequate numbers of EVMs have been made available in the state and all steps have been taken to ensure that the poll is conducted smoothly with the help of these machines.
In the meantime, regarding the identification of the voters, the ECI has further directed that, in consonance with the past practice, the Commission has decided that the voter’s identification shall be mandatory in this Bye-Election to Konthoujam A/C, at the time of poll. Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) shall be the main document for identity of a voter. However, in order to ensure that no voter is deprived of his/her franchise, if his/her name figures in the Electoral rolls, separate instructions will be issued to allow additional documents for identification of voters at the time of poll in this Bye-Election, the order mentioned.
Most importantly, the ECI has announced the Model Code of conduct in connection with the Bye-Election to the Konthoujam A/C that shall come into force from January 12 in the Imphal West district in which the whole or any part of the Assembly Constituency going for Bye-Election is included. The model code of conduct shall be applicable to all candidates, political parties and the government. The Model Code of Conduct shall also be applicable to the Union Government as far as the state government is concerned, the directives of the ECI added.
