Punjab Election 2022: EC revises polling date; voting to be held on February 20

The Election Commission on Monday postponed the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab by six days, to February 20. The move was done in honour of Guru Ravidas Jayanti. The poll commission previously met to hear a request made by senior leaders from multiple parties to postpone the state's Assembly elections next month.

Punjab elections were scheduled to be contested in a single phase on February 14. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit S Channi recently written to the poll commission, pleading with it to postpone the Assembly elections by six days in honour of Guru Ravidas' birth anniversary.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, Channi stated that it was brought to his attention by certain leaders of the Scheduled Castes group, which accounts for around 32% of the state's population, because Guru Ravidas' birth anniversary occurs on February 16. On this occasion, he stated that a significant number of devotees from the state are expected to visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16. Many members of this community would be unable to vote in the state assembly in such a case.

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He further stated that members of the community have requested that the voting period be extended so that they can visit Banaras from February 10 to February 16 and vote in the Assembly elections.

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• Election Commission
• Guru Ravidas Jayanti
• Punjab
• Punjab Election 2022
• Charanjit Channi