Jalandhar: Following Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the Punjab assembly elections scheduled for February 14, 2022 by six days, in view of Guru Ravidass Jayanti which falls on February 16, the ECI has said the elections will now be held on February 20.The ECI met to discuss the matter on Monday morning. The Punjab polls will now coincide with the third phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh.Channi made his request keeping in mind the interests of Punjab’s Dalit population, who visit Seer Govardhanpur, the birth place of Sri Guru Ravidass, every year to pay obeisance on his birth anniversary. Punjab has the highest population of Dalits in the country. They constitute about 38% of the total population of Punjab.In his letter to chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra, which The Wire has seen, Channi mentioned that on this occasion a large number of Scheduled Caste (SC) devotees (around 20 lakh) from Punjab are likely to visit Benaras in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16.The chief minister wrote that in such a situation, many people from this community would not be able to cast their votes, which is otherwise their constitutional right. “They (SC community) have requested that the voting date may be extended in such a way that they are able to visit Benaras from February 10th to 16th as also participate in the Assembly elections,” he said.“It is considered fair and appropriate that the voting for Punjab Assembly Elections 2022 may be postponed for at least six days, enabling about 20 lakh people to utilise their right to vote for the State Legislative Assembly,” Channi continued.Also read: In Punjab, AAP Asks People for a Chief Minister, But Will That Be Enough to Win?Earlier, the Sri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Public Charitable Trust being run from Dera Sachkhand in village Ballan of Jalandhar wrote a letter to the ECI, requesting a postponement.Dera head Sant Niranjan Dass also held a meeting in this regard and demanded that either elections should be held before February 10th or after February 20. He had also requested the devotees to send their requests to the ECI and avoid holding protests against any political party on this issue in the state.General secretary of the trust Sat Paul Virdi said, “It is the constitutional right of every citizen to exercise the right to vote. If the election is held on February 14 as per schedule, it will result in denial of such right to a large number of persons which is against the letter and spirit of the constitution. We request the ECI to postpone elections in Punjab after February 18 or prepone the election before February 13, 2022.”Notably, devotees attend birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Ravidass at Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi every year. It is held under the aegis of Sant Niranjan Dass, the head of Dera Sachkhand, Ballan and who is also the chairman of Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Public Charitable Trust, Varanasi.Balwant Singh, a resident of Jalandhar, whose family has been visiting Seer Govardhanpur, said, “Dalits have made a valid demand and the ECI should address their concern. If the election date is changed well in time, devotees will be able to visit Benaras and also cast their vote. The Punjab assembly election should be held either before February 14 or after February 16.”Also read: As Politics Heats Up in Punjab, Will Issues of Farm Labourers Ever Get Attention?D.C. Bhatia, also a resident of Jalandhar and a member of the Sri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Public Charitable Trust, said, “Devotees will start leaving for Benaras in UP from February 8 onwards for the much-awaited birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass. Also, Begumpura Express, the direct train from Jammu to Varanasi ferrying devotees, has already been booked departing from February 13 and returning on February 18, 2022. If the election date is not changed, it would directly affect polling and election result of all political parties.”Bhatia said that as per an estimate, approximately 2.5 lakh people from the Doaba region alone will be going to Benaras. “On Guru Ravidass Jayanti, every year around four to five lakh people visit Seer Govardhanpur. In view of these facts, ECI should change the polling date, so that everybody is able to cast their vote,” he added.Earlier, renowned Punjabi singer and North West Delhi MP from BJP Hans Raj Hans had also written a letter to ECI in this regard. BSP’s Punjab chief Jasvir Singh Garhi had also demanded a change in polling date.Note: This article was first published at 10:15 AM on January 17 and republished at 2:35 PM in view of the election date being postponed.
