New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea filed by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party to postpone the Bihar bye-election scheduled to be held on November 13.
The party moved the apex court seeking a direction that the present date of November 13 be rescheduled on account of the four-day Chhath Puja that commenced on November 6.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it was too late to interfere in the scheduled bypolls.
“During Navratri all advertisements of cars and properties start because people want to invest during those days. Maybe during Chhath days people want to file nominations to contest election…the local culture…we do not possess the expertise to decide whether people prefer to contest election…”, Justice Kant orally remarked.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the petitioner, said the Chhath period is from November 5-8 and November 9-10 is a weekend, and festival hangover is from November 3-11. He said three out of four states postponed and one not postponed, and stressed that there was no other festival as important as Chhath Puja in Bihar.
The party’s plea contended that election dates in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kerala were advanced by the Election Commission on the basis of religious events whereas the Bihar polls did not see a similar treatment despite the Chhath Puja festival.
Justice Kant said: “Dr Singhvi, there are so many impediments. Now that election is scheduled to be held on November 13…”. Singhvi said if court were to shift it two weeks’ later then only the date of polling will shift. “Then, we will be interfering in the election process….Postponing a date of polling, you know how costly it is. It will be painful for the candidates also. All arrangements are made, forces are deployed…”, said Justice Kant, adding that it is not a matter where court should interfere.
Justice Kant told Singhvi that other political parties’ have no problem and only one political party has a problem on this issue. “Polling staff must have reached the places because by tomorrow they have to take over and in the remote villages it takes time for them to reach….. You are a new political party, you need to know these zig-zags," remarked the bench.
Singhvi said today onwards it is the silence period and people are just coming home after Chhath Puja, and it does not cost them anything if they defer it. However, the bench was not keen to entertain the contention and suggested the counsel to withdraw the petition. Singhvi said let the Election Commission hear his client today and pass an order, and “we have served the EC today…”. After hearing submissions, the bench declined to entertain the petition, saying, “it is too late…”.
Bypolls will be held in Ramgarh, Tarari, Belaganj and Imamganj Assembly seats on November 13.
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