SC refuses to entertain Jan Suraaj Party plea seeking to defer Bihar by-poll due to Chhath Puja

A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan rejected the plea filed by the Jan Suraaj Party's plea against the Election Commission over by-election dates in Bihar.

"It is too late now to interfere in the by-election scheduled to be held on 13 November," the top court said observing that the plea lacked merit.

The party has challenged the ECI's decision not to defer the by-elections in Bihar while rescheduling the elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Kerala due to social and religious events.

Four Bihar State Assembly by-elections are set to be conducted on 13 November just a few days after the conclusion of Chhath Puja, a widely celebrated religious festival in the state from 6-8 November. The Party contends that this timing of elections will significantly affect voter participation and leave them with no time to campaign.

Notably, in states like Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, the ECI recently rescheduled by-elections from November 13 to 20 due to large-scale social and cultural gatherings stating that it could lower voter turnout and cause logistical difficulties. The Party says that similar conditions apply in Bihar, and not considering the requests for a deferment of elections in Bihar is not only unjust but violates the right to equal treatment under Article 14 of the Constitution.

"The present petition has been filed by the Jan Suraaj Party seeking equal treatment by the Election Commission of India, in as much as, the Petitioner's representation dated 29.10.2024 and 05.11.2024 has not been dealt with in the same manner as that of other political parties. The petitioner sought deferment of dates in relation to the four bye-elections to the Bihar State Assembly scheduled on 13 November 2024 on the ground of the week-long Chhatt Puja starting on 06 November 2024," the petition said.

Advocates Ruby Singh Ahuja Advocate from Karanjawala & Co appeared on behalf of Jan Suraaj Party. (ANI)