Two autonomous council polls deferred

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 24: The Assam State Election Commission has deferred the election schedule of Deori Autonomous Council and Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council till December 15, 2016 against November 16, 2016 as announced earlier.

As per the revised schedule, the period of nomitions may be filed from November 23 to 28, 2016 between 11am and 3 pm. Scrutiny of the nomition papers will be done up to 3 pm of November 29, 2016 and on the same day the list of validly nomited candidates will be published. Withdrawal of candidature may be done till 3 pm of December 1, 2016. On this day list of contesting candidates will be published. The poll to both the autonomous councils will be held on December 15, 2016 from 8 am to 4 pm. Date of re-poll (if any) is scheduled on December 16, 2016 from 8 am to 4 pm. Counting will be on December 17, 2016 from 8 am till the completion of the counting process.

The election schedule has been revised owing to the consideration made upon representations received from a few organizations for postponement of election to the two autonomous councils on the grounds of difficulties due to simultaneous ongoing process of bye-election to the 14-Lakhimpur Parliamentary Constituency. The Election Commission had also received feedback from some district election officers about practical difficulties in conducting the said election simultaneously with the 14- Lakhimpur Parliamentary Constituency.

It may be mentioned that the election schedule which was notified earlier will remain suspended from 3 pm of October 24, 2016 and will again recommence from November 23, 2016. The nomition(s) filed by any candidate up to 3 pm of October 24, 2016 will be treated as nomition duly filed during the period of nomition and will be taken up for scrutiny on November 29, 2016 as per the revised schedule.

Further, the Model Code of Conduct will remain to continue in connection with both the Deori Autonomous Council and Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council till the process of election gets completed.  

Earlier, the election was scheduled to be held on November 16. The State Government did say that since the date was near to that of Lakhimpur LS and Baithalangshu LAC bye-polls it would seek deferment of the autonomous council election. A team of the Congress led by Ajanta Neog today met the SEC and sought postponement of the poll.